


Instinct

by Higgystar



Series: Instinct [1]
Category: Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: AU, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Character Death, F/M, M/M, M/M/M, Mpreg, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-07
Updated: 2015-11-19
Packaged: 2018-01-23 21:43:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 127,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1580555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Higgystar/pseuds/Higgystar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daryl hates being an omega. He hates the pack he's had to join to survive, he hates that Merle was gone and he really hates that he's run out of heat suppressants. But the worst thing was knowing Rick and Shane, the groups alphas, were everything he'd always wanted.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Heat

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: First time delving into Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, so this is my take on a world like that, with a lot of my own ideas interspersed with the more well known ideas. Feedback is appreciated.

Daryl hates being an omega.

He knows he’s a rarity, omegas were few and far between, well wanted and hard to find, packs would do anything to claim one for their family and defend them with their lives. As if that wasn’t enough, male omegas were even rarer making him practically invaluable to every other human on the planet. It had had such a huge affect on his life, staying away from others and living a life of solitude with only his close family around since he could trust them not to be affected by his status.

Merle had been the only person he’d ever trusted once he’d presented as an omega, thirteen years old and desperately trying to scrub off his new scent and dowsing himself in every perfume and aftershave he could find to try and mask it. Merle hadn’t turned away from him and left him to fend for himself, instead his brother had become his protector and done everything he could to help him get used to his position in the world.

The threat of being sold off to a pack was a real worry for him throughout his life, his father was the kind to not care about blood or family and it had taken a lot to save himself. Merle had scented him, continued to mark him and give him the protection of an alpha throughout his life, fending off their father or any other asshole who had caught onto his scent and tried to find him. His brother was his everything, stealing him heat suppressants to keep him from suffering through that misery and even though he should learn his role in society, he goes against every instinct he has to try and defend himself.

Every Dixon male had presented as an Alpha and it had been assumed that he would be the same when he came of age, so he’d prepared for that outcome. Daryl had trained with Merle, learned to fight and defend himself, learning how to take blows from his father and he had been so ready to develop into a strong alpha. Presenting as an omega was supposed to put a stop to all that, but he refused to give into instincts.

Daryl refused to let his status control him, so he’d taken his suppressants throughout his life, continued to be scented by Merle for protection and fought any alpha or beta who dared to even look at him sideways. He may be an omega but he wasn’t going to let himself be bent over and used by anyone who wanted to or become the breeder to some pack. Genetics meant nothing and he wasn’t going to let his fate be sealed because of his unwillingness to fight against instinct.

Life had been hard but he’d struggled through with Merle helping when he could and keeping him scented and safe under his protection. It had been a struggle but if he thought it was bad before things had only gotten worse after the dead started rising from the grave and killing everyone. His brother had done his best to keep him safe but no one could survive on their own anymore and it wasn’t long until they’d had to turn to a pack for safety. Every horror story he’d ever been told about what packs would do to omegas had gone through his head and it had taken an entire night of Merle scenting him and hushing him to make him agree to join them all.

He’d spent every night buried in Merle’s neck, smothered in his brother’s scent and covering himself in the protection of an alpha before he dared to speak to any of the others. In front of them all he didn’t cower or act skittish, instead he put on the mask of an alpha and dared any of them to come near him. It had been hard but he’d pulled his weight as much as he could by feeding them all and even Merle’s pushy alpha attitude hadn’t gotten them kicked out.

Then everything had gone to shit and now Merle was gone, his suppressants had run out and he could feel the beginning itches of a heat creeping up on him. He’d never had a heat before, and the thought of it made his stomach clench in worry and he couldn’t help but become more skittish around the group. It was an all consuming fear of what could happen to him, all the stories he’d heard haunted him in his sleep and as each day passed and the signs of going into heat intensified he found it harder and harder to fight the urges that bloomed within him.

Their pack was a mismatch, various stragglers of other packs mingling together to create a new one in this new world, a couple of fledgling adolescents that had presented but weren’t yet mature enough to give in to their instincts, two alpha males and one alpha female and the rest all betas. Daryl tried his best to stick with the betas and Carol wasn’t too bad to be around now her alpha mate was dead.

She was kind and sweet, and he supposed that her fledgling omega daughter gave her a sense of understanding what he was going through and how to help him. When the fire under his skin itched to be scratched he went to her, just staying close and enjoying her company, focussing on conversation with her and Sophia and refusing to give in to the urge to go and find an alpha. Everyday got harder and harder to resist and wearing Merle’s clothes to try and coat his scent wasn’t working any more, he could even smell himself and fuck it hurt to know this was what his body wanted.

There were times he debated making a run for it, just packing up his stuff and bolting into the wild, he’d lived on his own for long enough he could protect himself if he needed to. Except his body was getting harder to control everyday, he’d even woken to find himself rolling on the floor of his tent, scenting everything he could and probably luring in every alpha within five miles. It made him feel sick to his stomach and excited in the worst possible way. He both wanted it and despised the thought of being mated with.

Daryl hated every single part of his body that needed it, craving the touch of an alpha and to have someone mate with him, own him, protect him. He shivers at the thought and leaves the camp for the next few hours, wary of leaving the perimeter that Rick and Shane had scented out, but desperate to get away from everyone else. The fear of meeting any rogues out in the woods wasn’t as bad anymore, they hadn’t seen many humans since the outbreak, and he knew he could deal with walkers without a problem.

His skin feels on fire, he knows he must fucking stink of want and need and it takes every bit of energy to focus on not keening for an alpha to come and fuck him into the ground. Nothing had ever felt this hard to stop, it’s as if all sense has been knocked out of him and he’s just desperate to have someone come and stop this feeling for him. It wouldn’t kill him to not be mated with, he just had to last until this heat was over and things would go back to normal, he could just stick to the edge of the pack until the next one and ignore the looks Andrea, Rick and Shane kept giving him.

Falling to his knees in the woods he finds himself leaning against a tree, mewling to himself and biting on his bottom lip to stop from making such a pathetic noise. He was on the edge of their territory, the scent of the alphas’ is around him, lining the boundaries and making the heat flare up again. Every single nerve wants this, his body giving in to instinct and making him feel pathetic by how wet he was getting at the mere thought of an alpha having him. Digging his nails into the bark he rests his head against the tree, pretending to himself that he wasn’t trying to get closer to the scent or leave his own against it as an invitation.

They don’t have time for this as a pack, he knew they were holding off leaving the quarry because of him, not willing to travel with an omega in heat and luring in any wandering humans. He was a danger to them all like this, and he wants nothing more than to get to the CDC and steal as many suppressants as he could carry. All he had to do was get through this heat, this one heat and he would be fine, safe for the future until he found Merle and could hide back under his protection. There was no way he could afford to be mated with now, it was bad enough being an omega out here, but one carrying a litter would be even more in need of protection and he didn’t want that.

Pressing his forehead into the tree he tries to concentrate of the grinding pain of it, ignoring the dampness of his underwear and the want to keen for someone to come and care for him. He’d lived his whole life without an alpha or a pack, and all because of one stupid heat he was practically begging to be fucked. A lifetime of trying to hide what he was had all gone to waste, it was useless if one little heat made him like this, so vulnerable and unable to fight the instinct to just roll over and give in to want. Punching at the tree he bruises his knuckles, giving himself something to focus on, something to blur out the heat beneath his skin and the constant tingle in his abdomen.

He smells the alphas before he hears them, whipping his head to face them as they approached him in the clearing, both Rick and Shane looking at him as if he was the perfect prize. Andrea must be back at camp protecting the betas, giving them the free time to come and catch him, to use the little omega they’d only been too willing to take in to their pack. Daryl is on his feet in an instant, ignore the want to bend over for them and steadying himself against the tree with a growl.

It would be difficult to fight them both off at the same time, but he wouldn’t back down, not now, not when he’d fought his whole life to stop this from happening. His stomach churns at his growling, knowing that he shouldn’t be so disrespectful to an alpha but ignoring the discomfort as he had his whole life, unwilling to be a slave to his instinct.

Rick and Shane move as a pair, the two of them so in tune with each other, a pair that were used to dealing with a pack, their mate and child back at camp having come with them from before the outbreak. The alphas don’t approach him directly, instead they give him a wide berth, slipping around the trees and moving to remark the area, wandering along the border of their territory and using the scent glands in both their necks and palms to cover the trees. Daryl keeps his eyes on them at all times, wanting to make sure they weren’t planning an attempt to catch him off guard.

The mix of their scents hits him like a brick wall, a mix of strength, power, protection and the want to mate. He feels himself grow wetter almost immediately, his own scent becoming more obvious to him and more inviting to the alphas around him. Digging his fingers into his palms he lets out a frustrated snarl, closing his eyes for a moment to try and brush off the wave of want and need that washed over him, drowning him in instinct and a readiness to mate that he didn’t want.

His breath catches when the scents get stronger, thicker and closer to him, surrounding him completely and when he opens his eyes to find the pair of them in front of him the growl he lets out is rather pathetic. Every part of him that had been begging for this to stop was now craving it to continue, making him pant with a blush and lean back against the tree for some support from his quivering legs. The alphas watch him closely, their scents mixing together around him and it’s a combination of shame and desire that makes Daryl bare his neck to them.

Instantly they’re there, burying their faces in his neck and taking in his scent, pressing their bodies against his with similar whines and he can’t help but arch against them. Every fibre of his being was calling out for this, tingling at being touched by the alphas and desperate for more. He can feel his underwear stick to himself, damp with want and his body preparing itself for a mating, needing this as much as he tried to deny it. Hands run over his sides, scenting him all over, pressing against his heated flesh and making every nerve feel on fire as he lost himself in it all, feeling himself get covered in their scents and marked properly for the first time in his life.

Everything’s intense, a blur to his eyes as the pure desperation makes it hard to focus. Hands run over his body, scenting and marking, cupping him through his underwear, rubbing over his hard cock before slipping around to feel the wetness at his rear. A flush of embarrassment creeps over his face at that, and when they both hum in want, nuzzling at his face and burying themselves deeper into his scent Daryl can’t help but blush harder at their enjoyment of it all. He bares his neck with a moan, hissing in both pain and need when two sets of teeth dig into his flesh, growls of want surrounding him and he latches his fingers into their shirts.

It’s everything he’d feared it would be, too good to deny and far too perfect for him to stop his body from reacting. All thoughts of making this stop had flown from his head and even though he knew this was stupid, that there was no time for knotting or the risk of a pregnant omega right now, all his mind and body were telling him was to submit. The alphas would take care of him, they would keep him, have him and protect him from the rest of the world and every craving he’s ever had to give in and want to be in that position flares up inside of him. He’d been alone, he’d been forced to protect himself and be the most dangerous he could be as an omega and learn to defend himself, but this, this was everything his instincts wanted.

He was so tired of fighting it all. The fact of the matter was as much as he lied to himself and tried to cover it with Merle’s scent and his attitude, he was an omega and having two alphas willing to have him as theirs was everything he’d never admitted to wanting. Times spent fighting and kicking off betas and alphas had been hard when he’d wanted to submit and let them have him, the desire for a pack to care for him was hard to accept but right now the heat was making it easier to give in. His body trembles at their touches when they slip their hands beneath his clothes, rubbing over his flesh and making a fire ignite inside of him.

Daryl can’t stop the tiny mewl that leaves his lips, the want bubbling over to the point where there was no point denying that he wanted this. Rick moves to kiss him hard and it’s everything he’s ever wanted, harsh and unforgiving, an alpha taking control of him and giving him the attention he needed. Their tongues clash before he submits properly, too used to fighting to give up right away but after Rick’s small growl he whines in supplication, feeling his body tremor at the feeling of it all.

Shane muscles in for his own kisses, snarling at little to Rick before pressing their mouths together, biting at Daryl’s lips and pinching at his skin, rough and ready. Daryl whines when they both pull away for a moment, leaving him panting for more and scrabbling to tug them back to him. The alphas keep him pinned against the tree, but their eyes are focussed on each other, small growls echoing from their throats and Daryl can see the silent battle between them. It shouldn’t feel so exciting to have two alphas fighting over him, to see them snarl and posture for a moment until Shane bares his neck to Rick, accepting the bite of dominance.

In an instant the matter is solved and Daryl can only gasp as the hands move over him again, Shane helping the more dominant alpha move him to the ground, still nuzzling and licking at his neck and the scent of heat there. Arching into it all Daryl presses himself into Shane, clinging to him for support as his pants and underwear are yanked down. Embarrassment washes over him when Rick moans behind him, sliding fingers over his entrance and feeling just how wet and ready he was for this, how desperate his body was to be mated. They can all smell that this is his first time, but Daryl is desperate for it, and he doesn’t need soft and gentle touches when all he is craving is to be filled and knotted by the most dominant alpha.

“Please.” His voice is hoarse with need, stuttered between gasps and moans, his body pressing forward to be against Shane and then arching back for Rick’s touch. “Please alpha, I can’t…” He trails off, unsure of how to explain that he thought he might die if he didn’t get mated with soon. Shane holds him closer, letting him move to nuzzle at his neck, to bury himself in the scent of alpha and safety and protection and strength.

Behind him Rick shifts and in a second there is nothing but perfection flowing through Daryl’s body as he’s filled, feeling Rick growl and press against his back, inside of him and so fucking good. The feeling is strange and new but in no way unwanted and Daryl can only keen at the feeling, clinging to Shane and losing himself in the feeling of being between two alphas. Strong hands run over his body, still scenting him as Rick begins to move, Shane kissing and biting at his neck, holding him steady as he trembles all over.

Everything is too much around him, loud and bright and all he can do is pant to try and catch his breath as Rick moves inside of him, hitting something that’s intense and wonderful and making him groan. Every shift of his weight makes him press against Shane before going back against Rick, his cock is leaking between them all, the wetness of his rear being smeared all over with every thrust. Whining with pleasure Daryl can barely focus when Rick begins fucking him properly, sliding in and out of him with force, pressing deep inside of him and marking him in every way.

He whines loudly, mumbled praises to both of the alphas and scrabbling to cling to Shane when he feels how much the man in front of him wants him too. Shane growls, bucking upwards and rubbing his hard cock against Daryl’s belly whilst Rick grips his hips tighter and grinds deeper. Each movement is heaven, his nerves are tingling, on fire and he wonders why in gods name he’d never given in to this before. Rick and Shane are all over him, surrounding him and giving him what he needs, knowing exactly what to give him and how to make him feel so good. Fingers wrap around his cock, stroking over him and jerking him until he’s moaning constantly.

When he looks up through half lidded eyes he can see the smirk on Shane’s face as he strokes him, rubbing at his cock and giving a reassuring growl to him as he gives in to the feeling. There are mumbled words around him, a mix of praise and comfort, alphas coaxing him through his first time and making it so fucking perfect he thinks he might just die from it all. Rick’s fingers dig into his hips, pulling him back and pushing inside of him all the more, making him moan and buck into Shane’s touch, able to feel each twitch of Rick’s cock when the alpha, his alpha comes inside of him.

Daryl isn’t long afterwards, mewling pathetically and slumping against Shane’s chest, coming all over his fingers and panting to try and catch his breath. He’s trembling, shaking all over and he can’t feel his fingers anymore he’s hanging on so tightly. Rick is pressed against his back, kissing at his flushed skin and biting lightly at his shoulder, making him sigh at the feeling. Shane is still hard beneath him but not pushing for anything, instead his sticky fingers continue to pump at Daryl’s cock, milking him for everything he had and whispering praise in his ear.

For a moment he’s just lost in the feeling of being surrounded by them both, being claimed and marked, scented all over and giving in to actually being their omega. It’s when he shifts a little against Shane that he yelps at the discomfort he feels in his rear. Rick growls a little behind him, moving to nuzzle at his ear lightly in contrast to the fingers that dig into his hips to keep him still. Panting a little in panic Daryl can feel the knot inside of him, the way Rick’s cock was deep inside of him and preventing him from escaping if he needed to.

It’s not the same feeling of pleasure he had from before, instead it’s strange and tight, keeping him here and unable to get away at all. Clenching his fingers in Shane’s shirt he tries to move again, whimpering when Rick simply moves with him before pinning him in place again. “Stop it.” Rick growls, but it’s followed with a kiss behind his ear, soft and soothing and Daryl knows they can smell the panic on him. “You have to stay still or you’ll hurt yourself.”

Pressed to Shane’s chest he nods jerkily, unable to stop himself from breathing heavily, trying to get himself used to the feeling of being knotted and being properly mated with. Shane’s hands are on him, just stroking over his sides and keeping him steady, the other man moves to kiss at his neck before pressing his head back down into the alpha’s neck. “We’ve got you.” Shane murmurs, shifting them to lay back against the ground with Rick still pressed against his back.

He tries to ignore the feeling and lose himself in Shane’s scent, it helps calm his nerves a little, but the foreign feeling is insistent in letting him know what’s happening. This is what his instincts had wanted since he’d presented and been of age for it all, to be bred with and knotted, to have that feeling of safety with an alpha and knowing he would provide them with a litter. The thought makes him shudder a little but Rick kisses at his shoulders again, holding him close and safe.

“Not going to let anything happen to you.” Rick murmurs, nuzzling at him and Daryl whines when he can feel his cock shift a little inside of himself. “Our omega, ours to protect.” The words shouldn’t be so needed, but they are, making Daryl squeeze his eyes shut and pretend not to feel the overwhelming sense of belonging that washes over him. “You’re ours now and no one is going to hurt you or mount you without our permission.”

The thought of being mounted again makes the heat inside of himself flare again, burning beneath his skin for a moment before settling. He sighs in agreement and presses his nose against Shane’s pulse point. It takes a while longer for Rick to finally start to soften, the knot loosening until he can pull out and though it had been uncomfortable to go through, Daryl can’t help but let out a small whimper at feeling so empty. His body quivers a little and the heat from before begins to linger beneath his skin, not as intense but still there, proving he was still in heat and still in need of more.

Shane groans a little against him, moving to lick at his neck and the scent there, his hips grinding against Daryl’s and igniting the spark a little bit more. His body is still relaxed from Rick, but to his shame he can feel himself getting wet again, still eager for more due to his heat. He knew it was all natural, omegas heats were there for a reason, they were the only humans capable of having multiple kits in a litter, making it easier to breed and help a pack grow, it didn’t mean he had to like his body’s obvious signs. Fingers slide over his hips again, Shane’s this time just running over him and watching him with a lust that clearly he wanted sated.

The heat engulfs him again, sending need across his body at the thought of being mounted again, at being lucky enough to have two alphas willing to breed him when he needed it. Shane growls and without thinking Daryl is baring his neck, his cock hardening easily at the action and gasping when Shane moves to bite at his skin. He knows he’s going to be marked after this, between Rick and Shane he’s going to be bruised all over but right now it’s so worth it.

Rick moves away to clean himself up, straightening his clothing before pacing at the borders of their territory. There’s no need for Rick to feel threatened by Shane, the pecking order was clear by the order they’d taken him in, leaving Rick free to keep an eye out for danger. Shane clearly feels safe enough to continue, moving his hands back over Daryl’s body, stroking him and making him give in to his instincts in a second.

Daryl rolls onto his front easily enough, getting to his hands and knees and too flustered to care what he looks like, presenting himself like this for Shane to enjoy. The alpha groans lightly, moving closer and Daryl gives a squeak of shock when his tongue swipes over his entrance, tasting the mix of his own wetness and Rick’s come. “Please Alpha!” He gasps, arching back, needy as before and not caring this time, just wanting that feeling back, the feeling of an alpha inside of him.

Shane is different from Rick, sliding inside of him in one smooth movement until they’re pressed flush, making Daryl bite on his lip at the motion. Each thrust is made with force, burying deep inside of him and not giving him a moment to catch his breath, Shane is intense and loud, snarling and growling in his ear, taking him roughly and god it’s perfect. Daryl can barely breathe it’s so good, marking him deeply and making him push back for more. There’s no finesse with Shane, he’s rough and ready, fucking Daryl hard, grunting and growling in his ear, gripping at his hips and whispering into his ear. “Gonna mark you hard omega, knot you deep.”

The words only make the heat intensify, causing Daryl to press himself closer to the ground, pushing back his rear for more and letting Shane do whatever he wanted to him. Every thrust sends tremors through his nerves, making him whine and whimper, frantically moving to fist at his own cock, knowing he wasn’t going to last long. Shane moves to bite at his neck and Daryl comes with a low moan, panting for air, gasping and writhing pathetically against the ground and bigger man.

The alpha lets out a low chuckle, biting at his shoulder, nipping and scraping his teeth along soft flesh and leaving a mark. Daryl mewls as he continues fucking him, moving deep and it’s not long before he can feel Shane shudder, his cock thickening inside of him and knotting him again. Shane moans through his orgasm, still holding him close and pinning him to the floor, using his superior body weight to keep Daryl down and stopping him from moving.

It’s not as uncomfortable as it should be and instead Daryl feels strangely safe beneath the heavy weight, even as the discomfort of the knot makes him whine and squirm a little. Shane shifts enough that he can breathe, but there’s no way he can pull away any further without it hurting the two of them. He tries to stay calm at the feeling of the knot, knowing it would end eventually just as it had with Rick, but it seems the alphas can sense his panic again. Rick comes over, he smells of sex and strength, moving to sit beside them and weave his fingers through Daryl’s hair.

The motion helps a little and Daryl curls his fingers into Rick’s pant leg, clinging there a little whilst Shane gives a few last thrusts to be sure of the knot before lying back on top of him. He grunts at the weight but doesn’t squirm anymore, trying to breathe through it and relax, to come to terms with it all.

He’s still in heat, he can smell it on him still but it’s not as intense as it had been before. Clearly whatever instincts he had were fixated on the two alphas here and now he’s been mated with both they’d gone into a lull for the moment. There’s a moment of shame that washes over him, hot and heavy, settling in his gut and leaving him hating himself for being so desperate.

Daryl had tried his whole life to be something he wasn’t and now he’d given in to what he really was, it felt too good to be true. There are some elements of being an omega that still irked him, he knew he could protect himself and he certainly wasn’t planning on stopping hunting anytime soon. Still this part of it maybe wasn’t so bad, now the heat had cooled down to a more tolerable level and he could actually think.

Shane shifts again and he hisses at the feeling, growling a little in annoyance and receiving a kiss to his cheek in apology. Settling back he doesn’t know how he’s going to feel about all of this later, right now he was still far too sated to think properly, but he knew it would come eventually. The thought of everyone at camp being able to smell what had happened was enough to make him want to run again, to bolt and try to get away from the looks they would give. Rick’s fingers comb through his hair again and he sighs a little, burying his head in his arms and wishing things would stop being so hard.

“You okay?” Rick asks, gentle and firm, a voice that spoke of calm and experience with helping others through their problems. Daryl wants to cling to that, to let all the worries and fear out and share them with the alpha that had been so good to him through his first time. “It’s okay. It’s okay to be unsure Daryl.” Fuck it feels so good to hear someone actually care about him, to really care that he feels so lost with all of this.

“Meant what we said before.” Shane adds, gently moving when he softens and slipping free of Daryl finally. He shudders and squirms beneath the larger man, needing to be free right now and get some air. “We’re your alphas now, and that means more than just helping you through a heat.” Soft kisses are pressed over his neck, soothing and making him want to just make all the tension disappear.

Everything he’s feeling right now is too overwhelming and after a lifetime of trying to cope by himself, having two people actually want to help him through it all feels awfully new and frightening. But he wants it, he wants it all so much and actually having to give in to something like that felt wrong and terrifying. Shivering a little he gives a small whine when they lay their hands on his back, rubbing and soothing him through it all, making him feel all the care and safety he’d pretended not to crave since the day he presented.

“You’re a part of our pack now.” Rick continues, and Daryl doesn’t resist when his body tells him to submit, to let Rick help him from the floor and move to clean him up. Shane helps too, tugging his clothing back into place and stroking over his sides in a soothing manner, staying close and being the strength he needs right now. “Ours to protect, ours to keep safe and ours to help.”

He feels completely lost in all of this, giving in to everything he’d ever wanted felt so unreal and he can barely believe how much his life has changed in such a short time. They help him to his feet, pressing against his sides and leaning to scent him again, not that it wasn’t already clear whose he was. Burying his face in their necks he loses himself for a moment, letting them scent him all over, running hands over him and giving an invisible sign of where he stood now. It helps a little.

When he’s completely marked and feeling a little more stable, Daryl nods to them both, unsure what to say to them both for everything. He should be ashamed, he should be fighting with them and kicking their asses for daring to touch him like that, but instead he leans into their sides as they head back towards camp, using their protection to make himself feel better.

“Thank you alphas.” He manages to murmur, feeling the blush over his cheeks when they reach the camp and the whole pack smiles when they see him, welcoming him properly, like a pack member.


	2. Fears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well I had a great response to this fic, so you'll probably be pleased to know that what was once a one off has become 17 pages of development as well as diagrams of the altered biology of the characters. Seriously it's suddenly all planned out because you guys just inspired me so much, so thank you very much and I hope you enjoy it as much as I'm enjoying writing it!

Life doesn’t get much easier even after his first heat has passed. The damn thing had lasted a few days, making him flushed and on edge the whole time, hating himself for wanting it so badly and barely able to meet anyone’s eyes since the will to submit was so strong. Even the betas could smell it on him, Dale had tried to be reassuring by letting him hide himself in the RV when he got too overwhelmed by it all, he’s appreciated it of course but wasn’t willing to admit it, still the old man must have been able to smell the relief on him. He’s not sure who it was that sent Andrea in to him but fuck he was grateful that they did.

Rick and Shane had been busy making plans for the CDC, going through and cleaning all their weapons and though Daryl knew they could smell his heat and their desire was as strong as his, there just wasn’t enough time for them to give in to him. Really he didn’t want to complain, not when they’d been so understand after his first time, but the days afterwards had been rough, his body still on edge and calling for him to mate and breed until he’d been almost clawing at his own skin to make it stop.

Then Andrea had come and found him in the RV, crouching in front of his curled up form and reaching out to stroke through his hair. He’d practically clung to her, burying his face in her neck and her alpha scent, whining and hating himself more and more each second for needing it so damned much. She’d smelt of Rick and Shane, of an alpha who had requested the permission of her superiors before going to comfort their omega. It made him feel like nothing more than an object, a possession and worst of all it felt good to be cared for like that.

Andrea had been good to him, locking the RV door so they had some privacy and unlike the two males before, she’d been slow and caring with him. Not that it didn’t stop him from moaning desperately to her and enjoying every bite at his neck, but it helped calm the nerves all the same. She’d done everything for him, from sliding down his pants for him to holding him steady as she slid down onto him.

It was completely different from the first time but then he supposed it had to be since she was a female alpha. Andrea had faced him, holding him close and going slow, letting him sit propped against the wall as she rode him, rocking her hips slowly, easing him in to every moment and kissing him softly. It was strange but still so good and the burning beneath his skin had calmed a little when she’d run her hands over his chest, stroking lightly, almost tickling his skin.

Every time he’d paused, biting on his lip and wanting to move with her, she’d allowed him, coaxing him to move his hips up and give her something to grind down upon. She was so warm around him, a sensation he’d never felt before but was definitely willing to have again. Her teeth scraped over his neck as she fucked him, moving faster once he was calmer, and he swore she’d growled when he’d been whimpering in want. Andrea snarled her fingers in his hair, yanking his head to the side to bite harder, moving herself against him, riding him hard until he couldn’t take it anymore.

Daryl had come with a whine, loud and long into the air around them, panting harshly and bucking up inside of her. Andrea had grinned, wide and dangerous as she’d fucked herself on him, gripping at his shoulders and moaning loudly into his mouth as she came, kissing him hard. He’d been breathless afterwards, panting deeply as she’d kissed him, barely able to keep up as her tongue had moved across his lips and teeth before descending back to his neck.

When he goes to shift the flare of panic starts up again, Andrea growling lightly and moving to kiss at his neck softly, murmuring words of encouragement and stroking circles on his shoulders. “It’s okay, just stay calm.” She’d purred, wriggling her hips a little before settling herself back down on top of him, letting her inner muscles remain clamped around him in a female knot, squeezing over him lightly and making him shiver at the feeling.

He’d felt awkward sitting there with her pressed against him, naked and rubbing over him, scenting him afterwards as they remained knotted together. It’s not like he was good at small talk normally and it had been hard for him to swallow back the nerves at being in this position. Andrea had giggled but not in a mocking manner, more a caring sort of way if that was possible. She’d nuzzled at him, stroked across his hair and spoken so kindly his worries dissipated slowly. “You’re a wonderful omega Daryl. You’re doing so well with your first heat and we’re all very proud of you, even the betas are impressed.”

It shouldn’t have made him feel so relieved to be told that. That the pack were accepting him properly and not just seeing him as a heat flushed bitch that was holding them back from the CDC. He knew it was strange for an omega to have their first heat as his age, usually they’d been through several and even birthed a litter or two by the time they got to his point in life, but he’d just always been so determined not to be an omega that suddenly being one and being accepted for it was…well overwhelming.

They’d remained close for an hour or so even after the knot had subsided, the two of them wrapped in a blanket and pressed together, Daryl not speaking much but just enjoying Andrea’s comforting words and scent. She’d been there when Shane and Rick weren’t available for him, when the heat had gotten so intense that he just needed her to let him press close and whine in discomfort. Of course she was the lowest ranking alpha in their pack so he had the men to go to first, but the betas took up their time occasionally and a pack couldn’t run without alphas at the head of it.

His days in heat had been a mix of terrifying and fantastic, leaving him shocked at himself and his behaviour when it was finally all over. When his mind was more his own and he wasn’t constantly flushed and needy he felt embarrassed by it all and hated how good it felt to be sore from so many knotting in such a short time. Waking up the first day of it being over he’d been worried, frightened that now he wasn’t in heat the pack would see him differently, now that he would be able to be himself instead of a heat drunk omega all the time. He’d debated keeping to the edges of the pack again, not letting them shun him if he could ignore them first, but then they’d smiled to him, bringing him breakfast and involving him in their plan to go to the CDC and shit that tug in his chest started up again.

Now the heat was over he was able to think clearly, to focus on the group’s safety and hunting for them all. Even if it was technically the alpha’s jobs to provide food they allowed him to do so, even if Shane felt the need to scent mark the hell out of him before he went off on his own. He was glad they weren’t letting pride cost the group their meals, Merle had always been so pissed when he had to eat something Daryl had caught, as if it tasted worse, tainted by an omega’s touch. He’d hated that, Merle had always been so desperate for him to be an alpha and he’d tried so hard to be that for him, to give in the being an omega so easily felt like a betrayal, even if it was what he was meant to be.

Since it was safe to move on they’d headed to the CDC, the pack feeling closer than ever since the loss of Jim on the way. It had been harsh but he’d known they needed to put him down, there was no hope, he’d seen it happen and Jim wasn’t going to survive. Even though it hadn’t been his place to say what should happen to a beta, he’d let his feelings be known, not caring if the others thought he was disgusting for wanting to put the other man out of his misery. He hadn’t told them the scent of the other man’s pain had been driving him crazy.

The CDC had been insane, moments of safety blurring with terror and the need to escape and be free from the place. Jenner had been so uncaring of their want to live, not understanding the pack’s want after being alone for so long. It reminded him of himself when he’d been alone, and forgetting how things would work with a group of people, and being so unsure and afraid of the rest of the world. Their alphas had saved them, Shane being aggressive, Andrea holding back her own pain to try and save Jacqui and Rick managing to save them all with reason.

Driving afterwards had been painful, and though they had a destination in mind it still felt as if they were going nowhere. The highway had been terrifying and throughout the stench of the walkers rotting around him all he could smell was his pack in panic. It had been awful, and through it all he could feel the need to find his alphas and hunker down with them for safety but there’s no way he can get there and then there’s the sudden spike of T-Dog’s blood and he just bolts into action to help his injured beta.

Things had gotten worse, the herd had moved on and Sophia was missing, Rick had run off after her and Daryl hadn’t been able to stop himself from moving to be closer to Shane. The pack was on edge, unsure what to do without their first alpha there to guide them. Shane had stepped up, kept them all calm, given them a focus in hunting for supplies with Andrea on guard whilst they went to search for their missing fledgling omega. It had hurt to come back without her, to see Carol hurting so badly and then things had gotten worse.

It was so rushed and frantic, their alphas desperate to help Carl, them being led to the farm and suddenly there were more people that weren’t pack and Daryl felt on edge the whole time. They weren’t bad people the Greene’s, they helped Carl they let them stay, they gave them water and clothes and let them clean and look for Sophia, but they weren’t pack and that was uncomfortable. Especially with the Greene girl alpha.

Maggie was fierce, she had a way about her that made Daryl want to duck his head and not meet her eyes. She walked with such confidence all the time and he could see the affect it was having on Glenn. The kid was fucking enamoured from day one, when they went to that pharmacy for supplies and he came back stinking of sex and submission all over. The alphas weren’t exactly on edge about it, not like they would be if it were him, but he saw the talking to Rick gave the kid later that evening, keeping him in line and scenting him quickly before storming off.

Hershel is another matter, the man is past breeding age but he’s the head of his family pack and there’s a silent power within him that makes Daryl listen even when he speaks in the quietest voice. They know he’s an omega, he can see it in the way they look at him, the way the younger Greene girl is curious, the farmhand dances around him like he’s abnormal and it’s just so clear they know. He wonders if they were planning on trying to keep him for themselves. It wasn’t unheard of for packs to fight over omegas and potentially kidnap them for their own. Merle had always warned him about it, and had made sure he knew that no one would think twice about using him for a breeding bitch if they wanted.

It set off nightmares, and despite his attempt to set up camp as far away from the Greene residence as possible with the pack between them and himself, he still felt on edge around them all. Sophia was still missing, Carl was dangerously wounded and having their fledglings so in danger was driving everyone to be on edge. It’s been tough these last few weeks and he can’t stop from looking for Sophia even if he wasn’t supposed to go out on his own.

He’d get up at dawn, ignore the want to stay with the pack and instead react to the need to find Sophia, the want to have their pack whole and safe and the fledgling omega back with them. Carol’s pain was almost tangible around them and it made him sick to his stomach to see her so depressed and worried. So he’d tried his best to find her, stealing a horse from the Greene’s and riding out to try and cover more area. It was harsh and he could feel the anxiety building as each minute went by without any response from the girl.

Daryl is so busy focussing on trying to hear her and ignore the want to get back within boundaries that he doesn’t know what happens until he’s in the water, in pain and looking up at Merle in confusion. “Now look what you gone done to yourself there dummy.” His brother sneers down at him and despite knowing this wasn’t real and that this Merle had no scent or real presence, he still can’t help but love seeing his brother. “Look at you spending all your time out here, didn’t wanna come back to find ol’ Merle huh?”

The guilt rips into him, harsh and painful but he knows Merle, he knows he can take care of himself he was an alpha for fuck’s sake but Sophia… “She’s just an omega Merle, if someone found her…”

“And what about you huh?” Merle cuts in, snorting and pacing above him, snarling and posturing like he always did to intimidate Daryl. “Not scared about someone finding a rare piece of breeding ass out here?” All the worry about the pack and the Greene’s flare up at Merle’s comment and he has to wonder if they’re keeping him around because he’s Daryl or simply because he was an omega.

“Can take care of myself Merle.” He snaps, as usual fighting back with anger, acting as if he were stronger than his position and refuse to submit to his brother.

“Oh like last week?” His brother laughs, loud and grinding into his skull with a throbbing headache. “Just because of one itty bitty heat you spread your legs like a common omega bitch, flaunting yourself to them alphas and letting them take you.” Merle sneers, pointing in his face so he can’t be ignored. “You know soon as you give them some kits they’re going to toss you aside like a used rubber.”

It ain’t true. Rick and Shane had said so and Andrea had been so nice to him afterwards. They wouldn’t toss him out of the pack, they’d scented him, it had to mean something. But there’s that niggling feeling again, the one that creeps up every morning and flares again before he goes to sleep. “I ain’t nobodies bitch Merle.” He mutters, wondering if he even believed it himself anymore.

“Yeah ya are. You’re the whole pack’s bitch baby Darylina. Rubbing yourself all over them, mewling like a slut and giving it up so easy. Didn’t even try to fight it did you? Bet you’d been wanting to submit all your life to someone like your first alpha Rick.” Merle is fucking taunting him now, shaking his head in disgust and fuck it hurts to have Merle see him as nothing more than the omega he’d always tried not to be.

“Screw you.” Daryl mumbles, letting his eyes close as his side ached in pain.

“Oh you’d like that wouldn’t you? Another big alpha to own you completely, to make you bend over and take it like the bitch you are.”

The thought makes him sick, Merle ain’t never been anything but a brother to him, someone he could rely on to only ever see him as a person and not an omega since family didn’t react to family’s heats . He shivers in the water, blinking at the sensation of Merle kicking at his foot. “Ain’t no bitch Merle!”

“Then prove it! Come on I taught you how to hide your omega self away, why don’t you try to be big alpha Daryl Dixon again huh? Get yourself up and show me what you got, come on, you take me on without submitting like the weak little shit you are. Get up!”

The kick jerks him awake and the stench of walker is on him as well as panic when the teeth dig into his boot. He kicks, scrabbling backwards as quickly as he could, snatching up his bow where it lay and taking down the thing in one shot. Panting for breath he glances around, Merle nowhere to be found but another walker stumbling his way. Shakily he grabs at the bolt in his side, yanking and grunting in pain before focussing on controlling his trembling fingers to load the bow and fire it again, falling back when the second walker does and whining at the pain.

It burns like a bitch, the climb is the most painful and humiliating thing he’s ever done and stumbling into the Greene’s boundaries he can already smell the panic in the air. Each step makes him want to curl up and wait for them to come to him, to smell his blood and come take care of him but he’s not a bitch and he’s not weak and fuck Merle for putting that thought in his head. Instead he grits his teeth, takes another stumbling step and growls a little when Rick and Shane approach.

The alphas are a mix of furious and relieved, ignoring his protests and each grabbing one of his arms and dragging him back to the farmhouse. It’s humiliating to be treated as such a hopeless burden like this, but honestly he was in so much pain he didn’t think he could make it on his own. His side is on fire when they get him on the bed and in a second Shane is grabbing the back of his neck, pulling him in close for a hard kiss and scenting him harshly. Daryl doesn’t resist, but he doesn’t relax into it either, not when Rick looks just as pissed as Shane when he follows suit with the action.

Neither of them leave when Hershel enters, both keeping him pinned when the man sews him up and ignoring his growls at having another alpha touch him so easily. Normally his alphas would have raised an issue with it, but it seemed they were trying to punish him in their own way. “What the hell were you thinking? Going out on your own?” Shane snarls and despite his position Daryl meets his eyes head on when he replies.

“Thought I might find Sophia.”

“Daryl we’ve already got one omega missing, we don’t need another one out there.” Rick is calm, the yin to Shane’s yang and Daryl can see exactly why the two of them were so perfect to lead the pack together. It’s still not enough to calm him though, not after Merle’s taunts and the discomfort of Hershel stitching up his side.

“I can take care of myself!” He snaps, growling when Hershel finishes and covers his side with a patch, touching him far more than necessary. “I don’t need you alphas watching over me all the godammned time, I ain’t some bitch for you to keep an eye on. Just cause of my position doesn’t mean I’m weak!” And it’s wrong and rude but he snarls at Hershel, getting two glares from his alpha’s when the old man leaves them to sort out their issues on their own.

He’s glad they’re alone, this wasn’t for a non pack member to be a part of and right now he needed this, he needed to assert himself and try to stop these fucking feelings in his chest everyday. Rick is tense but still calm, laying a hand on his arm and keeping him steady when he goes to pull away. “Everyone is weak on their own, regardless of their position. No one goes out on their own, no one you hear?”

“Some fucking thanks would be nice, only went and found her doll, got us a good search area.” He’d tried his best and these assholes weren’t even the slightest bit grateful, Shane was pacing the room in anger and Rick had that look in his eye as if he wanted nothing more than to pin him down and never let him move again. It just makes him even angrier. “You’re the idiot who led her into a river, wiping out any scent from her and making her harder to track. I’m doing my best to help out and get her back to the pack, doing your fucking job for you.”

Shane snaps, striding over to grab his hair, to pull them face to face as he yells at him, reminding Daryl too much of his father when he had just presented. “Hey you do not talk to him like that!”

“Why?” And so what if he flinches? It’s only natural, especially when he knew what was coming next. “What you gonna do beat me? Go ahead, wouldn’t be the first time some alpha beat an omega when they didn’t roll over for them.” He knows they’re looking at his scars, seeing the truth behind his words and the determination behind them.

“That’s not how we do things Daryl, not in this pack.” Rick is still so fucking calm, placing a hand on Shane’s shoulder and standing beside his second, firm and strong and it makes Daryl want to submit so bad and believe him, but the worry in his chest just won’t stop growing.

“Yeah sure, ya’ll say that now.” And Merle is in his head again, bringing up stories and nightmares, newspaper clippings of another omega theft and rubbing it in his face. “Treat the omega nice so he feels safe and then he won’t run away and we can use him all we want to get the pack stronger.” He huffs, inching back from them both, especially when Shane releases his hair to try and stroke across his cheek.

“Daryl it ain’t like that.” The second sighs, moving to his other side whilst Rick sits on the edge of the bed.

They’re trying to corner him in, to subdue him and make him roll over. He snarls and backs up against the headboard, spitting dangerous insults at them to get them to back off. “Yeah it is! Didn’t give a damned shit about me until I was in heat! Bet you chained Merle to that rooftop on purpose, smelt me on him and wanted me for yourself.” He accuses Rick, and he pretends that he imagines the hurt in his eyes.

“That’s not how it went down.” Rick tries to explain, inching closer, hand held out in a non threatening manner and fuck there’s a mix of wanting to bolt and just grab that hand and never let go.

Unsure and uneasy he continues with the anger, knowing it kept people at bay and right now space was a good thing, no matter how much his instincts were telling him otherwise. “Yeah sure it ain’t. I bet you smelt a nice virgin omega on him and wanted a piece of it for yourself, and I know you were already fucking staring at me Shane.”

“I’d never seen a male omega before, excuse me for being intrigued.” Shane butts in with a snort, but he’s calmer, more serious when he speaks again, sitting on the bed to not be so intense above him. “But we don’t go around collecting heats Daryl, we ain’t like that. You’re a part of the pack, our pack.”

It hurts to hear that. It hurts to want it so much and know that it was most likely a lie, or something they kept telling him until they got what they wanted. Daryl knows they can smell his distress and he hates that he wants to go to them for comfort when they’re the reason he’s so lost and scared. “Yeah for how long? Until you get bored? Until you get your first litter of kits from me? Well you’ll be waiting a while cause I ain’t even carrying so you might as well fucking kick me out now, don’t even know if I can have kits.” He spits, curling in on himself at the head of the bed, not caring if his stitches pull and hurt his side.

The alphas are silent for a while, each looking at him before looking to each other, Rick’s voice fucking caring as ever and making him cringe. “What? Daryl…”

They reach out to him and he flinches, wanting to both get away and get nearer as he tells them everything they didn’t want to hear. “Go ahead, fucking toss me aside now you can’t use me for what you want. Fucking useless omega can’t even get pregnant, can’t even have a heat right and do what he was made for. I ain’t worth your time so fucking leave me be!” He’s breathing heavily, clutching at his side and hating that he feels so wrecked right now.

It’s as if everything he’s ever denied himself wanting has come crashing down on himself and he feels completely unworthy of anything they’d given him. They deserved better than him, an omega that could actually do what they were made for and produce a littler for their alpha and pack, instead they just got him. A defective omega who played alpha most of the time and couldn’t even breed right.

Rick moves first, taking his arm and pulling him close and he’s so ashamed of himself that he doesn’t even struggle in protest. Instead he falls against the other man’s chest, clinging for dear life and pretending the simple feeling of an alpha’s arms around him didn’t make him feel a thousand times safer. Shane presses against his back, large and powerful, pressing his face into his neck and just holding himself there. It’s awful and wonderful and he feels fucking pathetic right now for needing them both despite his words. They’re his alphas despite everything and he needs them, even if they didn’t need him at all.

“Not leaving you.” Rick murmurs, his fingers carding through Daryl’s hair, a soothing motion to try and calm him down. Daryl presses closer, pressing his ear to his alpha’s chest and hearing his heartbeat, strong and confident. “You’re our omega Daryl. Our packmate. Ours.”

Shane rumbles an agreement, moving to kiss at Daryl’s neck from behind, wrapping his arms around his waist to keep him sandwiched between the two of them. Wrapped in his alpha’s Daryl lets the pain and insecurity wash over him, everything aches with exhaustion and worry, all his nerves are on edge and he just doesn’t want to cope with this right now. “But what if I can’t breed?” He asks, voice quiet. Even if it’s something he’s always feared, it’s what omegas were for in a pack and they wouldn’t want him if he was incapable.

“Ours.” Rick reaffirms, moving to kiss him deeply before scenting him, rubbing their faces together before allowing Shane to do the same. They moves their hands over him, stroking in broad and soothing motions to calm him down, to ease the anxiety and share the worries like alphas should. “No matter what.”

“It was your first heat Daryl.” Shane murmurs, flopping back onto the bed with a stretch and kicking off his boots. Rick nudges Daryl down, pressing him back against Shane before moving to his other side, keeping him between the two of them, safe and secure. “You hadn’t been off your suppressants for long, maybe there was still enough in your system to stop you from conceiving.”

Daryl shrugs, as soon as he’d presented he’d stopped going to school, not wanting to have anyone know. So his education on the matter was pretty limited, and honestly it kind of helped to have a possible reason for his failure. His instincts were playing up lately, and having both of their current fledglings ill or missing was making him want to be able to provide a new future for the pack. It hurt that his instincts had already given up on Sophia’s rescue and it’s why he’d tried so hard to bring her back.

Rick takes his silence as more upset and moves to nuzzle him again, pressing closer, kissing at him lightly and using his hands to press over his sides and keep him grounded. “Doesn’t matter. You’re not going anywhere.”

His side hurts, his head hurts, his chest is aching in that horrible way of worry again and he buries himself closer between them two of them. “Yes alpha.” Daryl replies, barely believing it, but hoping like hell it was true and he wasn’t as broken as he thought.


	3. On edge

It’s hard to adapt to life after the farm. It’s as if all security was ripped out from underneath them, the thoughts of safety and a future was gone all in one night. They’d lost Sophia, Hershel’s family had lost even more people and two disjointed packs had joined together in their grief. Daryl finds it hard to accept right away but Carol helps ease that discomfort when the alphas are busy focussing on leading the pack. She latches on to him and he to her, he think it has something to do with him being an omega when Sophia had been one too, but he doesn’t mind it. They sleep close together, Daryl using her as a barrier against the world when he’s at his most vulnerable and her using him as a comfort when the nightmares of Sophia get too strong.

The pack changes as the winter draws in and it’s strange to see them all adapt as well as they can.

The alphas can’t mark territory when they’re constantly on the move and Daryl can see when the tensions run high in them all. Andrea handles it better than the men, she’s just more and more determined to help out, to be stronger and keep them all as safe as she can. Her aim has gotten better, she no longer shows any fear of walkers and leads scavenger teams without any problem at all. Though she is still the lowest ranked of the original three alphas, she was their security, the one who took the needs of the betas and himself and tried to fix it as best she could.

Shane has gotten more on edge lately. He’s still second but there have been times when he’s snapped at Rick, fought for dominance and ended up going off on his own for a while to cool down. They always make up eventually, Shane baring his neck to Rick and the two of them scenting each other, reaffirming their status and bond as first alpha and second. He’s their muscle, the strength that holds them all together and keeps them moving through the toughest of days and could still give individual care to each of them.

Rick was stressed. They could all smell it and feel it but he was pulling them along, keeping them together and keeping them safe. Daryl wouldn’t be surprised if Rick would be able to kill every walker in the world if it meant keeping them all safe. He’s gotten more able to make the tough choices and follow through, quelling any unrest in the group and securing their safety. It’s embarrassing to say but Rick was every alpha he’d ever fantasised about when he was a teenager, in his dreams he never told anyone about and pretended not to have.

Though it was hard to admit, Hershel really was a good part of their new pack. He was calm, a voice of reason who could give an alpha’s perspective whilst Dale gave a beta’s, the two of them may be older but they were both tough old bastards. There had been a part of them all worried that the elders would hold them back, but they’d proven their strength and had more knowledge to share with them all.

Carl was stepping up into his alpha role easily, following his father’s lead and growing up fast. Though he was still a kid and not of breeding age yet Daryl had caught him copying Rick and Shane’s behaviours and had even growled to get him to back down when the kid got too big for his boots. He may be an omega but he wasn’t going to duck his head down to a headstrong thirteen year old.

Lori was still protective of her son but she had become a wonderful beta to the pack, strong enough to give them the care that they needed but strong enough to stop any arguments before they reached the alphas. Daryl wasn’t sure if it was because of her position as Rick and Shane’s original beta but she’d kind of stepped up to be their first beta. She was kind to him, whenever some of his worries got too much to bear she’d be there to soothe him, stroking over his shoulders and pressing gentle kisses to his temples.

Maggie and Glenn had been difficult to get used to. They were a couple, sort of. As much of a couple as they could be in a pack, with Maggie scenting Glenn and the kid would roll over for her whenever she liked. But it wasn’t in a dominating way, in fact it seemed strangely sweet to watch them curl up together at night, kissing and nuzzling each other and working out a relationship that worked for them and the pack.

T-Dog had gotten quieter since they’d lost Sophia, but he was still so strong, fighting past infection and his own loss to provide for them all. If there was heavy lifting to be done he was there, if there was a room to be cleared he was there and if the cars needed a bit of tweaking then he was there to push them through it all. He’d become a decent hunting companion too, able to walk silently and follow Daryl’s instructions and besides it helped to have someone bring back enough food for them all.

He found Beth to be quiet, she flits about with them all, demure and sweet. If his nose wasn’t working he’d think she were an omega but then there’s a moment when she snaps and stabs a walker in the face, twisting the blade to severe it’s bones and catch it’s brain, panting in exertion afterwards. She still clings to her daddy and sister, but there’s a fierceness beneath the surface that is almost begging to get out.

Then there’s he and Carol the two people clinging to each other for some semblance of normalcy in a world of chaos. The loss of Sophia had been hard on her of course, but she was becoming stronger, getting better at shooting, she was eagerly learning all she could from Hershel to be able to assist medically and becoming an integral member of the them. Carol was probably the person he felt the most relaxed around, there were no ulterior motives with her, she was honest and genuine and after a life of not trusting anybody Daryl was finding it such a relief to finally have someone he could.

They’ve been travelling for a few weeks, getting to know each other better and learning how to work as a team, stepping into their roles and learning to take down walkers safely and efficiently. Between them they could clear a house in minutes, have all rooms secured and be searching for supplies before the next herd showed up. The nights were the hardest when they could only grab a few hours of rest at a time, always on the move, never settling in one place or having a territory to call their own. It was stressful for them all and Daryl knew it was only going to get worse sooner rather than later.

He can feel the beginnings of a heat creeping up on him, he’s become more sensitive to the scent of his packmates and it takes more effort to peel himself away to go and hunt. They have a few days until it takes him completely, but the beginning tingle of want is something they just don’t have time for when they could barely stay in one place for a few hours. There would be no time for knotting and it wasn’t as if they could stop it from happening when he needed it so badly.

They can all smell it on him and he can see the way the alphas huddle together to talk, each of them glancing at him in a way that both makes him want to bare his neck and snarl at their obviousness. He sits at their camp for the day, a run down farmhouse they’ve secured and huffs a little when he can hear them talking about him in the next room. The betas are sitting with him, all pretending they can’t hear for his sake but he knows they’re all thinking the same thing anyway.

“We can’t keep moving around if he’s going to go into heat, it’s too dangerous, what if another group smells him?” Andrea is worried of course, probably standing with her arms folded and trying to use her clever mind to figure something out. Daryl huffs and curls in on himself a little more, wishing he had more control over his scent and could stop it.

“Fuck others smelling him, how are we going to be able to keep a hold on ourselves when he’s at his peak?” Shane snarls and he can hear the other man pacing back and forth, all pent up aggression and lust trying to find an out. “Shit I’m already finding it hard to ignore as it is and he’s only early days yet.”

It’s his fault but don’t they know he would stop it if he could? Every time they’d come across a pharmacy he’d raided the place for suppressants, desperate to find them and make their lives so much easier to handle. If he didn’t have heats then he wasn’t a lure for danger or a distraction when they couldn’t afford one, but there had been none around, not a single fucking pill for him to cling to. He was on his own and trying his best to cope but already his body was indicating a need to mate and try conceive again.

“Shane we need to think of the good of the group, there’s no time nor place for us to knot him safely and I won’t put us all in danger just because our hormones are driving us crazy.” Rick hisses, at least the man has the decency to at least try and keep his voice low but the silence of the world around them means everyone can hear anyway. Daryl chews at his thumb and shuffles a little closer to Carol, smiling lightly when she places a supportive hand on his lower back.

Shane is a mass of built up pressure ready to blow but trying to keep a lid on it, growling and pacing, kicking at the walls of the farmhouse and letting the world know of his frustration. “So what then Rick? We never mate again? The pack never grows, we never breed and just keep moving in circles trying to survive?” It’s a hopeless life to lead and Daryl knows it, they couldn’t carry on like this, it wasn’t a stable atmosphere to be in and they needed a territory to call their own.

“We keep looking for somewhere we can settle, somewhere we can build a future in.” It’s been their plan since they left the farm, Fort Benning forgotten, and nowhere else for them to turn to for safety. So they clung on to hope and looked for somewhere to call their own. So far they had nothing to show for it. “It’s not Daryl’s fault, but we can’t risk it right now no matter what our bodies are telling us. We need to just try and keep control.”

It was easier said then done when their own bodies were against them and Daryl knows that as much as his body is calling to be mated with, the alpha’s bodies are telling them to pin him down and have him. To them the scent of an omega in heat was akin to a drug, an addiction they couldn’t ignore and felt obligated to seek out and enjoy. He could see the way Maggie looked at him sometimes and how she’d sit closer to him at the campfire, she’d even run her fingers over his arm before now. A small move, but enough to make Shane sit between the two of them when he could. A protective move that made Daryl flush and feel the heat beneath his skin rise another level.

He feels awful as the days drag on and his heat starts to build, the scent of it seeping from his pores with every step they take and he has to sit in an entirely different vehicle when they drive to stop the alphas from just giving in. What makes it worse is that they can’t even get near him for fear of giving in, so every reassuring touch was missing, he couldn’t sleep beside them or be scented just in case. Despite his alphas being right there with him, he felt abandoned, alone and needing with alphas who weren’t able to give him what he needed.

Every day gets harder and harder, Daryl is unable to stop himself from scenting everything in sight, running his shaky palms over the car seats, rubbing his face over the group’s blankets and supplies, body desperate to signal his position. As if they didn’t know where he was already, mewling in his sleep and rubbing against Carol by mistake. She’d been sweet when he’d apologised, kissing his forehead and staying awake with him when the heat made sleep impossible to obtain again.

The group try to keep his mind off of it, though he’s not able to go hunting when in this state, T-Dog sits with him, helping him check through supplies and make new arrows. Between the two of them they manage to make a quiver for his extra arrows, T-Dog’s fingers working over their project when Daryl’s are shaking too hard to be of any use. It’s hard to concentrate on anything other than the need to mate but he tries so fucking hard for the group, not wanting to be that problem they all don’t need.

Maggie keeps watching him and he’s loathe to go anywhere by himself just in case she follows him. Not that he couldn’t handle himself if he had to fight her off, but he didn’t know if he’d want to. Despite her not being one of his alphas, she was still an alpha and someone who could breed with him if she wanted to. Running his fingers through his hair he tugs on it, giving himself the pain to focus on instead of his body’s needs. Glenn tries his best to sate her he knows, since he’s a beta she can’t knot him so they’re safe to go off and fuck quickly to ease her hormones and lust, but there’s still a hunger in her eyes when she looks at him.

The others are understanding, Hershel explains the biology of it all and tries to soothe him with the knowledge he’d never had before but it’s all too complicated and he doesn’t care about what each hormone is called, he just cares about getting filled. It’s awful and heavy on his shoulders, making sleep virtually impossible and he’s constantly on edge, nerves frayed until he’s trying to separate himself from them all and their warm bodies. Of course he can’t get far, but sitting on the other side of the RV is enough for the moment, giving him a breather to try and control himself.

The worst part was Carl. He fucking hated that the kid was growing up, the innocence of not being of age was starting to wane and even if the kid wasn’t giving off signals to want to mate, he was still interested. He could see the way Carl would wait until everyone else was occupied before going to where he’d scented, rubbing his own face over the car seats and enjoying the scent of a needy omega. Lori tried to curb his behaviour, explaining that it wasn’t Daryl’s fault and that he had to give him space for the moment, but Daryl knows it’s not Carl’s fault either. The kid was just running on instinct and doing what was natural to him, learning the ways of a pack and of his standing in it.

So he took to hiding, still within range so no one panicked if his scent got weak, but just sitting on the ground against the RV and pretending he wasn’t idly rubbing his face against it to scent his area. His body feels on fire again, he’s wet and biting on his lower lip to stop from mewling into the night for someone to mate with him. It’s almost painful to resist something that’s so natural to him, that his body wants and craves so badly. Daryl presses harder against the RV and digs his nails into his palms, trying to just get through this next minute, then the one after that and the one after that. It’s slow going, but it’s progress and in a few days his heat would be over with.

The scent of an alpha approaching makes him stand up, on edge already and panting with want when Shane rounds the RV, down from being on watch and obviously unable to ignore the scent he was giving off. Daryl knows he should move, he should go and find another pack member and make sure they behaved themselves, but fuck the smell of Shane and power and want was intoxicating. This was so wrong, Shane wasn’t even his first alpha, but he was his alpha and here and smelling so good and he was so fucking ready for him.

Shane moves first, rushed and growling, kissing him hard, fingers tearing at his shirt, yanking the fabric aside to run his palms over his sides and scent him, making Daryl moan and arch into it. It’s already like heaven, causing him to mewl and buck into him, getting wetter by the second and rubbing against Shane’s body like a common whore. His alpha spins him round, shoving him against the side of the RV and Daryl doesn’t care that it’s rough and wrong and they shouldn’t be doing this because every nerve was humming in delight and his cock was leaking with need.

Teeth clamp down on his neck, biting him and marking him, making him whine and press back, shoving his rear against Shane’s hard cock and scrabbling for his clothes to be removed. Shane is there, tugging and pulling at both of their pants, growling and snarling, large and pressed against his back, pinning him to the RV with ease and dominating him in the best of ways. He’s so overwhelmed right now, his skin is hot, his body desperate and wet with Shane against him and biting at him in just the right way.

“Shane!”

Daryl’s seen alphas fight before but this was different. Rick was furious, punching at Shane, kicking and taking every hit, the two of them moving around each other with snarls and growls, dangerous and meaning to harm. Shane doesn’t back down, still high on lust and barrelling into Rick with his superior weight, tackling them both to the floor and Daryl knows he can’t intervene but he’s terrified they’re going to kill one another. Pressed against the RV he feels useless, sliding down the side of it to sit on the floor as his alphas snap and snarl, biting and clawing at each other for dominance.

This was his fault, he’d done this. His stupid heat had set Shane off and then he’d stupidly given in to the second alpha, ignoring Rick’s authority and submitting to someone else before him. It was beyond rude, it was unthinkable and even with the high of the heat it was inexcusable for him to have done such a thing. There’s the smell of blood in the air, Shane is bleeding as is Rick, grabbing at each other and snarling, bodies hitting each other until Daryl feels himself want to curl up and die at causing this to happen.

Burying his face in his arms he tries to hide from it all, his heat burning for him to submit, to lie down on the floor to the victor and allow them to mount him as their prize. He wants to so badly but him being unable to control himself had been the cause of this in the first place.

A gentle hand lays on his hair and he looks up with a flinch, finding Lori kneeling beside him and fuck he clings to her desperately. She’s strong, she’s something to hang onto when he had no control of himself or his body and he needs that right now when his alphas were at war all because of him. This could break the pack, split them in two and get them all killed and it was all because he couldn’t keep his legs shut. He was a fucking danger to them all.

Rick has Shane pinned beneath him, panting hard and still snarling and every part of himself pleas for Shane to submit and bare his neck. To give in and let be over and have them as a whole again. When Shane shifts his head to the side with a whine, submitting for Rick to scent him and bite at his pulse point Daryl lets out a relieved sigh, still clinging to Lori and able to feel her relief too.

“Andrea!” Rick barks, still panting heavily as he helps Shane to his feet roughly, letting his anger and frustration towards the other man be known. For what it’s worth Shane keeps his head bowed the whole time. “You stay on watch, Lori deal with Daryl, Shane and I are going for a walk.”

A walk in the dead of night was dangerous but so was arguing with a severely pissed off alpha who’d just had to beat some sense and submission into his second. Daryl doesn’t argue, just keeps his eyes on the floor and lets Lori stroke through his hair as Andrea takes up position on the roof of the RV. The whole pack is awake now, Dale looking shell shocked and worried, clearly wanting to stop the two alphas from walking away but fully aware of his place.

They go off through the woods, Rick leading and Shane following behind, Daryl knows they’re going to argue, or talk some more or something and he’s never felt more guilty in his life. It’s all his fault and despite everything his body was still fucking giving off signals of wanting to be fucked. Hitting his head back against the RV he snarls in frustration, hating the way everyone is looking at him and relishing the pain that echoes around his skull.

Carol ushers everyone else back away from the RV, leaving him with Lori and not feeling quite so crowded. He’s flushed, red from the heat and still barely dressed, the cool air of the night helping with the feeling on his skin but not enough to blow away the guilt. Merle was right, he was a no good whore with nothing more to give than what was between his legs.

“Daryl, it’s all right it’s not your fault.” Lori tries to soothe him, carding her fingers through his hair, sitting close before moving to help him slip his shirt back over himself. “You cannot help yourself during heat, we all know that, no one blames you. Shane shouldn’t have approached you, and he’s always been unable to control himself when he was desperate.” She gives a slight laugh, smoothing out the creases on his shirt before smiling to him. “Don’t tell him I said this, but there have been a few times that Rick has had to take him in hand when he was being too pushy, if you know what I mean.”

He does know and though the image makes his skin tingle in want it also lightens the mood a little, making him give a shaky smile at the thought of Shane being so pushy that Rick had to put him back in his place like that. As if Shane was a beta to be pushed down and sated instead of an alpha. “It’s just hard.” Lori raises her eyebrows before glancing to his crotch and he rolls his eyes a little. “Very funny.” The fight had taken care of that issue rather quickly anyway.

“Rick will fix it. He’s put Shane in his place before and he’ll do it again. Don’t worry this isn’t the first time they’ve fought over something like this.” Lori sits beside him, leaning against the RV and it’s nice to have something else to think about aside from his needs and wants.

“But betas don’t have heats…” He points out, watching as she smiles with a look in her eye that shows she may be a beta, but Lori knew exactly how to get her alphas to do as she wished.

“No we don’t, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be a fight over who’s turn it is.” And Daryl can tell that she wasn’t exactly averse to the idea of them fighting over her, each one as desperate as the next to go first. “The boys always scrap over it and Rick always wins, this one was just a little more intense, that’s all.” It’s nice to share this with her, a hidden moment between her and their alphas that gave him some reassurance and let him be sure that she wasn’t jealous of him receiving their affections during the heat.

Lori had bred with them before, been their mate long before their pack had been forced to form and he’d been worried that she would be territorial over them both. But she’d welcomed him with open arms, having never met an omega before she’d seemed fascinated by him and now he was in heat she only ever seemed to encourage him to do as his instinct dictated. Even if any kits he had with Rick and Shane would be rivals for Carl’s position as their heir.

He wants to asks her about it all, about his fears for not being able to reproduce, about what it felt like to be pregnant about it birthing hurt as much as everyone always said and if she’d be there to help should it ever happen. But he can’t, it feels as if that’s pushing too far too fast so instead he leans his head on her shoulder and waits for their alphas to return from the night.

It’s a few hours later after sharing more stories of their lives before all of this when they do return, both panting from a light jog and instantly they’re on edge in case there’s danger, the heat quelled a little despite the alphas being present. He’s ready to jump in the car and get them all headed off, but Rick is grinning, draping an arm over Shane’s shoulder and pressing at his neck, both of them smiling and laughing with no hint of an issue from the previous fight.

“There’s a prison.” Rick explains, clinging to his second as Shane does the same back, the sight making Daryl press a bit closer to Lori at the want to have them hold him like that. “There’s a prison not far up the ways, we can take it. We’re going to take it, secure it and have a territory of our own.”


	4. Acceptance

The prison is theirs.

It had been tough but it was testament to how close they had grown as a pack that they were able to take it without losing a single member and had it secured by nightfall of the next day. The adrenaline is so high between them all that though the heat is still making his skin tingle all over, for the time being Daryl’ all too happy to just celebrate with the pack, smiling and each of them showing their pleasure at not only having a territory, but at having everyone alive and well with them.

The exhaustion between them all is obvious and now they had a cellblock all their own they were finding their own places to settle, every member finding a home, a bunk of their own and though they may be a pack he knew there was still something about them that needed their own space. Everyone is settling down, some napping to regain their energy, others unable to stop from smiling at their luck and hard work providing a future for them all. It was as if all the hassle had been worth it and though Daryl wants to sleep and had secured himself a space on the perch, he knew now there were no distractions there was no way his heat was going to let him get any rest.

Carol is sweet when he mentions heading outside for some air, a knowing look in her eyes and she presses a soft kiss to his cheek with a request for him to be careful. He can’t stop from grinning, the flush of need running over him without the residue fear of danger at every corner following him. It’s so different from before, to be able to walk without having to watch over his back, to know that there was no need for his crossbow and that his knife was more than adequate since there would be no walkers able to stumble his way.

The prison is theirs and he intended to make the most of it.

Hooking his fingers into the chain link fence he stands in the courtyard, peering through to watch as his alphas marked their territory. The three of them press against the fences surrounding them, running their hands over the wire and occasionally pausing to tub their faces at the posts between. The walkers still gnash at the outside but there’s only a few of them there, nothing to fear not with fences covered in his alphas’ scent trailing around them all. This truly was their prison and their territory and his body is finally able to relax into his heat fully.

It’s strange to actually begin to think about enjoying his heat but he knows some omegas relish every minute of the heightened senses and hormones running through them. He’s never had the chance to do so and suddenly being given a chance to really let his instincts take over without the fear of death or worse behind every corner is a new and exciting experience.

Daryl closes his eyes for a moment, just taking in deep breaths of the air around himself and enjoying the scent of his alphas’ mixing together around him, safe and strong and letting him mewl a little in want. Glancing around he double checks the others are still inside, not here to see him make a fool of himself and give in to everything he’s ever wanted. The coast is clear but it still feels like jumping in with both feet when he begins to scent the fence before himself.

He feels stupid doing it but ignores the nerves and carries on, letting his instincts take over when the heat begins to surface beneath his skin, making him press himself closer to the fence and writhe a little in want. His body needs this, to be able to express what he wants without the fear of getting hurt for it and for once, underneath it all he actually feels comfortable in his skin as an omega. Glancing up between his eyelashes he can see the three of them watching him, each one ignoring their marking to watch him and fuck that shouldn’t make him so wet at the thought.

Trailing a hand along the fence he heads towards the courtyard they’re all in, moving to walk through the grass and taking his time. His skin is flushed and each step closer towards them is making him tremble in need, he wants this so badly but there’s a small part of himself that makes to tease them, make them work for it since they had the chance to take their time now. It would be a celebration of sorts, for all of them at their success.

Biting on his lip it’s hard not to sprint over to them and let them fuck him into the ground, but he wants at least some semblance of control this time around and fuck he felt like he deserved it. They’re all watching him closely, he can see the lust in their eyes when he moves to sprawl on the grass, letting his body press against the ground before rubbing himself over it. Honestly he should feel stupid but his body reacts to the motion, arching up and he keens for them to come closer, whining and mewling for them all to come and get him. Panting lightly he can feel himself getting wetter, his scenting making his body prepare itself for what it knows is coming and fuck he wants them all so badly.

At the sound of growling he peeks up to see them all, letting himself lay lax against the ground, so vulnerable for them all with his legs spread and showing his desperation for it all. Before the pack he’d never act like this, he’d never be so open with his want and it’s freeing to actually be allowed to do this for once. Rubbing against the ground he watches them react, each one gazing at him with lust as they come closer, almost prowling around him and fuck he can’t help but grin. They circle him, Andrea watching the other two and clearly aware of her position between them all.

Rick and Shane are watching each other, both excited and the scent of the alphas around him makes Daryl mewl in want of their attention. Rolling onto his back he groans in want, letting his hands trail down his own sides and rub over himself, stinking of want and need and heat for them all. Rick approaches him first after giving a slight snarl to Shane and the second keeps his distance, bowing his head in supplication as Rick gets to go first as was his right.

Whining for him Daryl moans a little when Rick kneels beside him, pressing their heads together and scenting him slowly, taking his time to rub their faces together and make him even more desperate. “Your heat smells wonderful omega.” Rick purrs to him, his hands moving to stroke over the planes of Daryl’s body, yanking at his shirt and moving to kiss and lick at his revealed chest. “You want this, you want us don’t you?”

Daryl wonders why the hell Rick is asking when it’s so obvious to all of them from his scent. Shane and Andrea come closer, getting on the ground with them but not touching him yet, instead the two of them rub against each other, excited and needing but knowing their place behind Rick. “Yes alpha, please alpha I need you.” He mewls, wriggling against the grass and leaning up to rub his face in Rick’s neck and purr at his scent, marking and letting his hormones be smelt by all of them.

Beside them Shane and Andrea moan a little, both wanting him as much as he wanted them, but it’s not until Rick gives them a nod that they move to touch him. Hands roam over his body, stroking over his heat flushed skin and scenting him all over before moving to yank off his shirt and begin removing his pants. Daryl groans at it all, biting at his lower lip and not stopping them from making his skin feel on fire with every stroke of their fingers. He’s so wet it should be embarrassing but instead it’s just a signal for them to know how desperate he was, how much he needed them to take care of him right now.

His alphas move him how they want, Rick growling in need and letting them all know who was in charge of the situation. Shane and Andrea are just as much Rick’s as he is and it’s perfect when they kiss him, taking their turns as Rick moves himself into position behind him. Daryl enjoys being on his knees for them, both wanting to push back for Rick to hurry up and claw forward to get Shane and Andrea pressed against him.

They all move as one, Rick pressing deep inside of him in one strong thrust of his hips and his other two alphas shifting to hold him steady, growling in his ears and making him mewl for more. He feels so flushed right now, pressing back for more, fingers gripping at the earth beneath himself and groaning at the feeling. His body is on fire with each on of Rick’s movements, the feel of being filled making his hormones spike within himself, each thrust bringing him immense pleasure and when Shane’s teeth scrape over his throat and Andrea’s fingers curl around his cock he thinks he might just die like this.

It’s everything he’s ever needed, too much and not enough all at once. Blazing moments of intense pressure inside of him so he might burst, pinches of pain from Shane’s teeth on his fragile skin and the soft feel of Andrea’s hair brushing over his side as she moves to kiss along his shoulders. Moaning loudly he arches up into them all, wanting more of everything and enjoying the feeling of Rick’s fingers digging in to his hips, dragging their bodies flush together as they rock their hips, fucking him, marking him deep and growling with pleasure.

Pressing his face to Shane’s chest he can barely breathe it’s all so intense and he is surrounded by the scent of lust and desire, the feeling of completion and understanding of who and what he is. This is what he was made to do and his body was singing out in pleasure at him finally recognising it and giving in. His nerves are over stimulated, his cock is leaking over Andrea’s fingers and he mewls in desperation as Rick speeds up, hitting that spot inside of himself and making him cry out.

He comes all too soon for his liking, his orgasm washing over him like a wave, intense and overwhelming until he’s slumped on the grass beneath Rick, feeling his alpha growl loudly, coming inside of him with a cry and burying himself deep. Daryl groans at the feeling of his cock pulsing inside of him, swelling until everything all too tight and just on the wrong side of comfortable, making him mewl when Rick settles on top of him. Pressed against the ground with his alpha on top of him and the others beside him groaning and stroking over his sides is sheer perfection and he closes his eyes in bliss to let it all sink in.

Rick strokes over his back with a soft sigh, stroking over his flushed skin lightly and shifting just enough to make Daryl hiss at the discomfort. His alpha strokes through his hair, calming him, easing him through their knotting and God it feels so good to be loved like this. Having a pack that cared and alphas to take care of his every need even if it was just a base desire. The scent of sex is thick in the air but so is his heat and when Shane and Andrea move to kiss at his neck he groans a little as his body reacts.

It’s not the most comfortable feeling in the world to be caught between the want to mate again and the need to rest afterwards, but then Andrea’s fingernails dig into his back and scrape over his skin, making him groan a little and Shane is kissing at his face and neck eagerly. He knows he won’t be sated until they are, it was just an omega’s duty to fulfil their alphas’ needs and his heat wasn’t going to be subsiding anytime soon. The flush was starting up again, a deep yearning for more starting in his chest and spreading when Rick finally softens enough to release him from the knot.

His first alpha bends to kiss him roughly, dragging his head up by the hair to meet his lips, growling over him possessively before moving away to dress himself and prowl the perimeter again. Daryl knows Rick is always too on edge to relax fully, he’s always so concerned about the pack’s safety to ever really let himself really take the time. It was something he still craved but he couldn’t change who Rick was any more than he could change himself.

As soon as he’s free game Shane and Andrea pounce, kissing and biting all over him, snarling at each other and growling for who would get to go first. Daryl doesn’t exactly mind being their war zone, the scratches down his back and bite marks on his side are symbols of their affections and their willingness to fight for him, so he cherishes every one. They’re fighting over him in a petty manner, like bickering children with Shane trying to drag Daryl into his lap whilst Andrea tries to wrap her legs about his waist.

He mewls a little in want, panting now his heat has flared again and wishing they would just get on with it. Shane growls loudly in his ear, a sign of his dominance over him and of course Daryl smirks a little at it, pressing back against him and baring his neck, the most obvious invitation he can possibly give. His alpha takes it, biting down on his neck hard and thrusting in deep, making him gasp and try to catch his breath when everything just feels perfect again. Shane is rough, snarling and growling, digging in his fingers and moving inside of him roughly, it’s not just marking territory, it’s ensuring a proper mating in the most base of ways.

Daryl arches into it, pressing back, letting Shane bite at him, grab his hips tight and press him back down onto his hands and knees. Squeezing his eyes shut he groans loudly, enjoying every press inside of himself and wondering just exactly how they all knew exactly what to do to get him so undone. He’s so caught up in Shane that it takes him a moment to realise that Andrea is before him, biting her lip and watching him, there’s a look in her eye, a dangerous one that speaks of a promise of good things.

When she shifts beneath him he almost can’t believe what’s happening, but then she’s knocked his arms out from beneath him, letting him fall on top of her and she wriggles her hips, lets him groan and buck forward and it’s not long until he’s completely lost to them both. Andrea moans deeply, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pressing herself back onto him, taking him deep and making him whimper as Shane growls in frustration from his distraction. He doesn’t know who’s team he’s on in this game but he’s just hoping it doesn’t end anytime soon.

His mind is completely lost at the moment, he’s unable to focus on them growling at each other and using him as a tool in their game. It’s all too perfect and he’s just squirming between them, pressing deep inside of Andrea and feeling Shane press harder to hit that spot inside of himself. There’s no rhythm to his movements like there is theirs, he’s just shifting position to try and get more, and letting them do they want to him and enjoying every bit of it.

They seem to have come to some kind of silent understanding between them, Shane laps at one side of his neck whilst Andrea bites at the other side, each of them moving together, shifting him from being deep inside Andrea to pressed back and taking Shane harder. He’s mewling pathetically, arching back, wriggling forward and just completely on fire with how they’re touching him with their hands all over his skin and owning him completely. Daryl is lost, his mind just full of desperate lust and need, sandwiched between them like a good little omega and taking them both until he’s crying out in pleasure, coming hard and unable to silence himself.

He shudders between them as they fuck him harder, Andrea giving a loud moan as she comes, her inner muscles clamping down around him in a female knot as Shane growls out his own orgasm behind him. They make him feel so complete like this, pinned between them both and unable to shift as they ease him through the come down and the knotting.

Shane rolls them onto their sides as gently as he can, lapping at his neck softly with small groans and nipping there own his pink flesh. Daryl knows he’s going to be marked for a while, not only will he stink of sex and being sated, but his body will show the signs of a successful mating for the next few days at least. It should make him feel ashamed of himself for being so needy, but instead he just feels the need to smile and the want to show them off. Let the world know he was an omega, one who had been thoroughly fucked by his alphas and was doing his duty for his pack. Who cared, the rest of the world was dead and he was here, pressed between two alphas and feeling himself for the first time in a long time.

The feeling doesn’t last long.

A few days later the heat had worn off, leaving him completely sober from the high and unable to meet anyone’s eyes as they made the prison their home. Daryl knows they don’t care, they know it’s the heat and what he’s made for, but it’s the lack of control that makes him ashamed. He should be stronger than that, he’s survived so much of his life without giving in to what was expected of him and as soon as the rest of the world was dead he was just giving in. It was pathetic and embarrassing and left him snarling at anyone who came near his perch that smelt even the slightest bit like an alpha.

He does his best to continue as normal, hunting for the group, helping them make the cellblock as homely as possible for them all and taking his turn when it came to clearing the area of walkers. It had just been a few days of acting out, that was all and besides with the amount of hormones going through his body during a heat it was as if he was a completely different person anyway. There was a reason they called it a heat high.

The prison is different for them all and the actual stability of somewhere safe to stay and having supplies all around them was taking them time to adjust to. Sometimes he’d see them all double checking on the cars, making sure they had an escape plan just in case, or keeping the food and weapons beside their bags, ready to just grab and go. He’ll admit he’d even found himself finding it hard to get used to actually sleeping more than a few hours at a time and being able to relax and even do nothing some days. That was probably the biggest novelty; being bored.

On the road they hadn’t had the time to get bored, there was always something to do even if it was just keeping watch. Here in the prison there’s no other danger other than the walkers on the other side of the fence and every few days they would have a cull and burn the bodies outside their territory to clear them. They’d cleared all the areas they had access to and found no sign of any prisoners at all and through the wiping out of the walkers things had been tough, Hershel had lost his leg to a bite and had to learn how to cope with the loss and the added worry of his daughters over his health. Daryl supposed they were lucky they hadn’t lost anyone fully, there had been a close call with Dale and T-Dog but they’d managed to get out by the skin of their teeth.

The pack was strong that was for sure, their alphas kept them all safe and together and Carl was growing from a fledgling into a decent young man, willing to do the hard work without many complaints and becoming a trustworthy member of the group. Sometimes he found it difficult to ever remember being on his own, the thought of being without a pack was something completely unthinkable to himself now and with each day he scratched off on his self made calendar, he found himself really thinking of the prison as their home and future. They could make it here, together through the future and continue to keep this place going.

Hershel was already talking about the possibility of a farm, Shane wanted to have a go at restarting the generators and getting them some power, and between the successful raids around the area and the good hunting in the woods he really was optimistic for them all. The place was working out and though right now he was sitting on the perch bored out of his skull, he figured it was better being bored than it was spending time trying to scrape through each day.

Beneath him in their makeshift family area sat the rest of the pack, eating his latest catch and smiling together as they talked. Sometimes it was everything to be able to have moments like this, to just sit and watch them all and not be afraid it was all going to be taken away in a heartbeat because of a mistake they’d made or walker they hadn’t seen. It was still difficult to react, he was so used to being on alert that the habit was hard to break but he figured everyone was in the same boat when it came to that.

Beth was singing, her voice soft through the air but soothing and damn wasn’t it nice to be able to actually listen to her without second guessing if you’d heard a walker growl behind you. Closing his eyes he gives a sigh, letting his legs dangle over the edge of the perch and leaning on the bars, just letting himself be happy for a moment and enjoy the peace. His pack were happy, his alphas weren’t so stressed and fighting and he’d even been able to accept that the Greene’s were truly fledged members now. He had a pack, a territory, and a place for himself to be safe and comfortable without the fear of being hurt for his status. Life was good for the moment and he even finds himself smiling when Carl climbs the steps to join him.

“Hey, mom said you hadn’t eaten yet so I bought you something.” The kid settles beside him, swinging his legs off the side of the walkway and handing Daryl the bowlful of today’s meal. A mix of rabbit meat and some kind of vegetable mash beside it, not the best of meals but nowadays anything tasted good. Nodding in thanks he digs in, aware of his hunger but unable to stop the instinct of eating last due to his lower rank. It was silly, everyone else said so and coaxed him to eat with them, but whenever he did he still could only start after everyone else had taken a bite. “I got something extra too, I thought we could share it.”

Looking to Carl he can’t stop grinning when the kid produces a candy bar, it’s half flattened and the packaging is crumpled around it, but it’s real and Daryl knows it’s going to be the best candy bar he’s ever had. “Where the hell did you get that?”

“Remember that run Glenn and Maggie went on last week? They found it and when they couldn’t decide who should get it they wanted to give it to me, I wasn’t going to say no.” Carl grins, tipping back that damned sheriff’s hat and breaking the bar in half, offering some to Daryl with chocolate-coated fingers.

Frowning a little he shakes his head, nudging for Carl to take the half he offered back for himself. “What do you wanna share it with me for? Have it for yourself kid.” If anyone needed feeding up in this place it was Carl, the kid was going to become a scrawny looking adult if he didn’t start fattening up and it wasn’t like they could just pop into the market for him.

“But I want you to have some.” Carl continues and presses the candy bar into his hand, covering him in chocolate before starting to nibble on his own half. Daryl sighs and begins licking at the mess, unable to stop the small sigh at the taste of sugar and sweetness on his tongue. “Mom says you need to keep your energy up for the next few days, the heats always make you so tired afterwards.” Carl shrugs, looking up at Daryl with far too many questions in his eyes for his liking.

Daryl flushes at that, his heats weren’t exactly a conversation he wanted to have with anybody, but especially not the kid. Heck it really didn’t help that he was an alpha too, following in his fathers’ footsteps and getting stronger everyday. Licking at the last bit of chocolate he tries to sit a little straighter, act a little more like an adult and takes a hefty bite from the candy bar. It’s so good he wants to enjoy it properly, but Carl is still watching him and making him uncomfortable. At least he couldn’t talk with his mouth full.

“Daryl can I ask you something?”

Fucking kid was too curious for his own good. Daryl shakes his head, concentrating on picking the chocolate off the edge of the candy bar and leaving the centre free for the last bite. “No. Not about that sort of stuff. You ask your mom or dads about it and leave me out of it.” He can’t meet Carl’s eyes or even look his way, this was not a conversation he ever wanted to have, especially not with his alphas’ son.

Carl sighs, that deep desperate sigh of a teenager wondering why the entire world was against him. “But you’re the only omega we’ve got and they can’t answer it.” He grumbles, slumping beside Daryl and looking at him with pleading eyes.

“Said no, it ain’t a topic we should be talking about, it’s personal kid.” He wasn’t going to give in, no matter how much something inside of him was telling him to do as the alpha wants. Carl was a fledgling still and it wasn’t his place anyway. “You need to have that talk with your parents.”

“But I’ve already had that talk with them and they don’t know the answer. It’s not about sex or anything like that, I just wanna know how long there is between each heat you have, that’s all.” Carl blurts out, his words rushing together as if he thinks that if he just gets the question out there then Daryl will have to answer it.

Daryl had to admit that wasn’t so bad a question, there wasn’t anything too invasive about it all and really that would be common knowledge for the kid to have. Still it wasn’t exactly something easy to talk about when it was associated with himself and the kid was getting to that age where he could smell it on him. Rubbing at the back of his neck he shrugs a little, keeping his voice low and giving a quick answer. “Bout a month okay?”

Carl rolls his eyes with a sigh, resting his head on his arms before glaring up at Daryl. “But that’s what they said and they’re wrong, it can’t be that long.”

Frowning a little he picks at his nails, shrugging in reply before replying. “Well it’s different for every omega, but it’s about a month from the first day onwards, it’s a twenty eight days sort of thing.” Because he may not know everything about his own body since he’d skipped school after presenting, but he knew when to take his suppressants.

“No it’s not. Why won’t anyone tell me?” Carl growls and the hairs on the back of Daryl’ neck stand on end at the thought of him having upset an alpha. Swallowing it back down he tries to shake it off, hating that Carl was beginning to smell more and more adult as the days went by.

“Yes it is Carl.” He emphasises, remembering marking off every day on his calendar when he was younger and swallowing the pills almost religiously every morning for a week to subdue the heat within himself. “You don’t like the truth well tough luck cause that’s what it is.”

Beside him Carl tenses, turning to him with a look that was so pure alpha it was kind of scary and leaving him feeling uneasy. “Then how come your last heat started before we got to the prison and now we’ve been here thirty three days and you haven’t had another one?”

Jerking around to look at his self made calendar he counts the tally marks in his head, once, twice and then a third time just to be sure. When he realises Carl is right it feels as if the bottom of his stomach has dropped out, leaving him staring at the wall with his mouth half open to give a snappy reply before all the words had dried up in his mouth.

Well fuck.


	5. Indication

Daryl doesn’t know why he tries to hide it, but he does.

It’s ridiculous really, if they hadn’t noticed his lack of a heat then they were certainly going to be able to smell the change in his hormones eventually. It wasn’t a secret he could just hide from all of them, it was going to be common knowledge soon enough but he just didn’t want to deal with it. Instead he avoids them all as much as he can, trying not to stick around too much and spending as much time as possible out hunting or hiding in the tombs of the prison.

If they know what’s wrong they don’t bring it up with him, they leave him do as he wishes and don’t question him when he shows up after being on his own for a few hours. He makes the most of the power they have now and finds himself time and time again taking warm showers just because he could, hiding himself beneath the spray of water and ignoring whatever was happening to him. It was difficult to pretend he didn’t notice some of them, the sickness he got was extremely hard to hide but he figures he did a decent enough job, no one had asked why he didn’t eat breakfast anymore and if he spent more time outside puking his guts up, they didn’t mention it.

It was like a secret they all knew but didn’t talk about, something between them all, an unspoken thing that Daryl hated being the centre of. The days drag by slowly, each morning he ends up puking and getting angry at the feeling, and with each week that slowly passes he’s finding more and more things different and difficult to cope with. His body was rebelling against him and there was nothing he could do to stop it and it was embarrassing to admit but his lack of knowledge about all this left him kind of scared at some of the things that were happening.

Everyone is outside at the moment, all helping to move the earth and start up their farm, making outlines and throwing seeds, taking their time to be so caring and nurturing to the little seeds. He’d spent the morning showering, trying to wash away the discomfort in his stomach and unable to stop from staring in the mirror at his still flat stomach. It was stupid that nothing looked different about him, it was all invisible but so very definitely there and there was nothing he could do to get away from it all.

Sighing to himself Daryl dries and dresses before padding out to the yard, the whole pack is laughing and playing together, Carl tossing seeds at Beth instead of in the ground, T-Dog and Glenn arguing over the boundaries of their vegetable patch and it’s all just so perfect he doesn’t want to ruin it. Sliding down the edge of the fence he sits in the shade from the building’s overhang, sprawling himself on the grass and trying to let his stomach settle. His abdomen felt tense, it had gotten more firm beneath his skin, and if he pressed hard enough it was like he could feel that something in there had shifted to where it wasn’t before.

Growling to himself Daryl flops onto his front, pressing his belly to the floor and ignoring it since he couldn’t see it. It wasn’t even like he was far along, and already he was hating this constant sense of unease and uncertainty that crawled beneath his skin. It was stupid really, he knew he could ask, the pack had two mothers and a vet who could answer any of his questions, but they hadn’t spoken about it yet and somehow talking about it would make it actually real.

If they all just continued to ignore it then maybe he’d learn what to do and what was happening by himself, he wouldn’t need them to worry over him and heck maybe this whole carrying kits and birthing them thing wouldn’t be as bad as everyone said. His stomach rolls again in disagreement and he groans a little, curling in on himself and trying to ignore it.

It’s not like he thought the pack would mind if he told them he didn’t know what the hell he was doing, they’d all just be so pleased he was carrying to mind that he was already lost with what to do. It was just a lot of weight to carry on his shoulders when he was the carrier of the future of their pack and he didn’t know what the hell he was doing. He’d never even been around anyone who was pregnant, how in the hell was he meant to get through this whole thing safely?

Picking at the grass around him he watches the pack dig some patches, tilling the soil together and even though they had no idea what they were doing they were taking instruction from Hershel and his girls easily enough. Biting on his lip he knows it was stupid to keep all his worries to himself, but pretending it wasn’t happening at all was just so much easier to deal with. Sighing he moves to chew on his fingers, digging his teeth into the hard flesh and urging the craving for stupid things to go away.

He knew people had cravings when they were in his condition, but he’d never heard of anyone wanting to chew on rocks and metal before. Clearly he was already screwing this whole thing up, but at least he had the common sense not to give in to the weird desires and instead he was just chewing through shirtsleeves and his own fingers. He figured that was a far safer bet.

Honestly he didn’t know which was worse, this or the heats.

Right now he’d take a heat any day, at least then he got something out of it and since they were safe in the prison he could just roll onto his back and let his alphas do as they wished to him without any worries. Instead here he was, unsure exactly how to broach the topic with them all, the elephant in the room was growing larger each day and getting harder and harder to ignore, but he really just wasn’t sure how to deal with it all. Of course it was the damned heats that got him into this mess in the first place.

Huffing loudly he hits at the ground, it doesn’t help so he goes back to staying pressed to the ground, chewing on his fingers and watching the pack carry on without him. They didn’t need him being a needy little omega right now, with too many stupid questions and the his scent all wrong from what it normally was. He supposed that was one thing that was really bothering him, he just smelt wrong to himself, and it wasn’t exactly comforting to feel so uncomfortable in his own skin and find that his scent mirrored the feeling. Maybe that’s why he kept showering so often.

He should talk to the them really. It was their business as much as it was his, and he knew Carl had about five hundred questions to ask him that he couldn’t answer. They all knew anyway, would it really be such a big deal to talk about it openly? He’s sure his alphas wanted to be close to him, he was carrying their kits after all, it was their problem as much as it was his but fuck this was a lot of shit to happen in such a short time.

A few months ago he’d been used to pretending to be an alpha, staying away from everyone else and living by himself with only Merle for company sometimes and keeping him safe by stealing him heat suppressants and scenting him. Now here he was, pregnant from his second heat, part of a pack and completely overwhelmed by it all.

Usually he’s only so needy when he’s in heat, begging for attention and needing them to take care of him, so feeling like it now without that heat high in his head was difficult. But things weren’t going to get easier, every day that passed made it more difficult to talk about so he needed to take that first step really and rip off the band aid of secrecy that they all pretended was there.

Walking over to them all was rather daunting though and if he happens to just end up skirting around the group until he was beside Rick well that’s just how it happened. It didn’t matter that he needed his alpha when he was feeling like this, so unsure and fuck he knows that they can smell his discomfort all over him. Now they were glancing his way, trying not to look so interested in his sudden appearance and fuck now he’s feeling even worse at being the centre of attention. He wants to bolt and go hide somewhere, maybe back under the spray of the shower where he could maybe wash this all away and pretend it never happened and that he wasn’t in this predicament to start with.

Daryl knows he’s blushing, he can’t look at anyone else and it’s such a relief when Rick reaches out to hold the back of his neck, dragging him in to bury his face in his alpha’s neck and lose himself in the scent there. It’s pathetic, he’s a grown man and yet right now he feels like a kid trying to introduce himself to a group of new people and clinging onto his mother’s skirts. Rick is calm, his hand stays pressed against Daryl’s neck as he hides away, all confidence leaving him and leaving him feeling more omega than ever that he needs his alpha like this over something they all knew anyway.

The pack is all on edge and he knows it’s because of him, because of how he’s acting and there’s the underlying fear for the litter he’s carrying and shit he really doesn’t know how he can deal with these expectations on him. Rick kisses at his cheek, just finger combing his hair and not pulling him away, letting him stay hidden away from everyone’s eyes and not commenting on his behaviour. The rest of them continue whatever they were talking about before, going back to ignoring him completely and somehow that’s easier to deal with than being noticed.

Rick holds him close, still a part of the pack’s discussion but still caring for him and his ridiculous reaction to all of this. He sways a little in place, rocking him lightly and it’s soothing, helping him breathe a little easier as kisses are pressed to his cheek. His alpha was here and strong, Rick wouldn’t care if he was shit at this whole thing, Rick didn’t care that he’d been useless on his first heat and he’d still stuck around until now. There wasn’t anything that would push his alpha away and when Rick moves to rub their faces together, his rough stubble scraping over Daryl’s cheek and scenting him heavily his breath catches in his throat and he knows he needs to tell them all, but right now Rick was safer.

Snaring his fingers in his alpha’s shirt he can’t meet his eyes, everything omega within him telling him to submit and not challenge him, to keep to his status and admit his faults. Rick’s watching him, not asking or pushing, just watching and holding him, keeping his uncomfortable omega close and Daryl feels ridiculous at how comforting that was. “Alpha…” Because it was easier to just talk to Rick and right now it was about pack and not people, so he was alpha like he was during heat. “Alpha I’m carrying and I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing.”

For what it’s worth Rick doesn’t laugh at his confession, instead he just kisses him, slow and sweet, nothing like when he was in heat and it’s enough to make him breathe easier when he’s released. Glancing up to his alpha he’s pleased to see him smiling, not angry or cursing him for being a fucking useless omega that didn’t know how to run with his instincts. “That’s all right, we’ll work it out together.” Rick scents him again, letting him pull back when he wants to but letting him hold onto his arm when he finds the pack all watching him again. “All of us.”

They’re all smiling, they all look so happy for him and not at all mad or concerned that he’s an omega that doesn’t know what to do. Shane is grinning like a loon, barrelling towards him in an instant and grabbing him, holding him close and kissing him hard with a possessive growl, making him whine quietly in relief. Of course Andrea is there soon after, tears in her eyes and moving to cradle his face when he’s free of Shane’s clasp, kissing him all over with a happy laugh. It’s a lot to process at once and he knows he’s blushing, standing a little behind Rick when the rest of the pack want to congratulate him and hug him as well. He’s not exactly used to this amount of positive attention and having it all at once was making his chest feel tight in both good and bad ways.

“Now now, let’s give him some room, we don’t want to squish the kits.” Hershel shoos them away, leaning heavily on his crutches but giving him a quiet smile, his eyes had a hint of pride and excitement there and it occurs to Daryl that now they were family these kits would be everyone’s as much as his own. He flushes at the thought and presses against Rick’s side when everyone begins barraging him with questions instead of hugs.

“How many do you think you’ll have Daryl?”

“Can you feel them yet?”

“Does this mean I’m going to be a big brother?”

It’s a lot to handle and he’s not exactly sure how to answer them all so he just shrugs, letting Rick answer for him and staying quiet but enjoying the sense of excitement and happiness in the air around him. His pack is pleased with him and no one is mad it’s a wonderful feeling to have. They continue planting seeds, every so often someone commenting on changes they’ll have to make for the kits, or how they’ll all be sure to play their part in helping with them and though Daryl knows it’s natural for a pack to care for a litter together, it’s still wonderful to know he’s not going to be doing this alone.

The next few weeks are a lot easier to handle with the pack all helping him through it all, Hershel was his usual caring self, sitting with him for hours at a time and explaining everything he wanted to know with Lori and Carol offering titbits of information from time to time. Surprisingly enough Dale ends up being a big help in keeping him calm, when the scent of cooking meat makes his stomach revolt Dale is usually there, handing him a handkerchief and joining him on a stroll around the yard talking about everything and nothing until dinner was ready to be served.

He appreciates all of them for their help or even to just be someone to complain to when the morning sickness made him grumpy and wishing to be able to keep something down. Daryl finds himself learning more about himself in the mini lessons with Hershel, Lori and Carol than he ever had in school and though a lot of it is terrifying he knows he needs to learn it all to stop himself from worrying. Finding out the want to eat rocks and metal was called pica and was perfectly normal was a huge relief and though Hershel assured him it was fine to chew on rocks if he needed to so long as he didn’t consume them fully, he kept those moments to himself and carried on gnawing at his sleeves for distraction.

Lori told him stories of when she’d been pregnant with Carl and had the strangest of cravings for anything and everything, sending Rick and Shane out at stupid hours of the morning to get her ice cream of a specific flavour. Carol similarly spoke of the funny times and the tough times, how she’d struggled through an uncomfortable pregnancy with Ed restricting her every move and being overprotective. Daryl was grateful that at least for the moment they weren’t treating him any different from usual, they still allowed him to hunt if he wished to with T-Dog for company and help, and they didn’t push him to curb his want to help with clearing walkers when he could.

Sure sometimes he could feel Shane hovering around him whenever he was preparing for a hunt, but so far his alpha had only scented him strongly before letting him go. Andrea would stroke through his hair occasionally and sit beside him at meal times, and watched how much he ate, he guessed she probably had it all written down somewhere. Honestly out of all of the Rick is the calmest, simply asking him how he was feeling occasionally and letting him come to him if there were any problems. Sometimes Daryl found himself seeking out his alpha just to sit and feel protected.

The make shift calendar he’d created had become a countdown for himself, each day he scratched off was another step towards the inevitable, more lessons, more learning and more dealing with his body doing what it needed to in order to protect the litter. He kept a lot of his fears to himself, there was no need to worry the pack and from what Hershel had told him it wasn’t rare for omegas to panic over their first litter.

The prison is becoming more and more homely every day, their farm was growing with plans to accommodate the wild pigs and horses they’d seen about the area, the fences were being reinforced as much as they could just to make sure and the place was even beginning to take on the scent of a pack’s territory. Surrounded by the scent of safety and warmth Daryl stretches on his perch, enjoying the lack of morning sickness in his belly and rolling onto his front for a few more minutes sleep whilst he could get it.

An uncomfortable pressure digs into his abdomen and immediately he shifts back onto his side, rubbing at the ache and glancing down when his fingers find a definite bump there. Well if he’d been unsure before it was definitely certain now. Carefully he gets to his feet, unable to stop from keep checking on the little bump, feeling the firmness there and not sure if he was excited or scared at the development. Checking his countdown he finds himself on week nine after his heat, biting on his lower lip and shuffling in place a little uncomfortable at the thoughts that bring up.

Omegas were the only rank in the hierarchy that could have multiple kits in a litter, multiples births weren’t only common, it was practically unheard of for an omega to have any less than two kits at once. Of course the amount ranged between them all, but in general a littler was between two and seven kits, and though they were smaller than a beta’s young, they expanded the pack in a quicker time frame. If he was already starting to show so soon then it was likely he was having a fairly large litter, enough to make his stomach swell after such a little amount of time and making him feel uneasy about the thought of it. Having a couple of kits seemed rather workable, the pack would help of course and they would be their kits to bring up and protect, but more than that sounded rather terrifying.

He didn’t want to share this, not unless he had to and right now this was his little secret to hold onto until he could be more certain. They didn’t need the idea of a huge litter weighing down on them, not when there were walkers out there desperate for something to kill. The thought makes him shiver and tugging down his shirt he checks that it’s not that noticeable to anyone who didn’t look too closely. It didn’t show really, not unless you were looking for it or able to feel it, he should be okay with hiding this for a while until they could be more certain.

The weeks pass and as they do it gets harder and harder to hide the tightness of his clothes or how he’d hold himself hunched a little to try and keep hidden. His alphas kept questioning him, asking if he was feeling okay and if they could help. He’s snappy for a while, snarling at them all to leave him alone and going back to hiding in the tombs of the prison t just get some air and peace and quiet with his slowly growing secret.

Come week twelve there really is no hiding it anymore and he just outright asks Shane for one of his shirts to wear to cover himself more. The bump is noticeable enough for him to start to hate it and he can feel the excitement of the pack growing at the thought of their young growing strong inside of him. Shane is of course understanding, giving him a large tee shirt and tugging it down to hide the bump from view. Daryl knows he wants to touch and feel, but right now that feels too invasive so he kisses him in thanks before flitting away, not ready to take that step just yet. The bump was annoying and got in the way all the time and the damned thing kept making everyone smile and look as if they wanted to hug him.

He was beginning to resent the fucking kits and they weren’t even here yet.

Everything seemed to be escalating every day, his cravings were annoying, his temper was shorter than ever and it seemed everything made him want to either scream or cry. The pack were careful around him, not taking any snarls or growls to heart and letting him eat what he wanted when he wanted without complaint. He knew he was being a dick, he knew he was fucking difficult to be around anyway but like this he was a fucking menace. It was getting to the point that Beth was just avoiding him now and he felt fucking terrible about it before being mad at her for not understanding.

Today was just a day of feeling on edge over everything so he’d taken the initiative to take some time to himself, settling himself in the yard and enjoying the fresh air and the feel of the grass beneath himself. Sprawled out here he could just ignore everything else, pretend his swollen tummy beneath Shane’s shirt wasn’t there and just scent the ground to his liking. It was pathetic just how good getting to go outside was and though he had to cope with the scent and sound of walkers from all angles, it was better than having Carl asking to touch his bump every other minute.

Glenn and Maggie had gone on a run for them all, the two of them making a list of things they needed and then the things they wanted, including peanut butter and cookies on Daryl’s list of cravings. He didn’t mean to burden them with finding stuff for him, but Glenn had asked and at the time he’d been willing to kill for a jar of peanut butter. Then someone had mentioned a nearby nursery and baby store, the topic had moved on to finding baby clothes and diapers and he’d had to leave, yanking down Shane’s shirt further and growling over it all.

“How’re you feeling today?”

Peering up from beneath his lashes he finds Rick standing above him, the sunlight streaming behind him and making him look better than ever to an omega. “Be better if everyone would stop asking me that.” He shrugs, frustrated but trying not to get worked up over it all so much. Hershel said stress was bad for the kits, he thought the fucking things should stop making him stressed in the first place if they didn’t like it. “I’d come say if something was wrong.”

Rick smiles and holds out a hand to him, helping him back onto his feet and steadying him a little when he rocks on his feet. “I know you would, we trust you Daryl.” There’s that smile again, the one that made Daryl’s insides squirm and his chest feel tight at knowing that this was his alpha, the man that cared for him in so many ways. Rick nuzzles at him lightly, kissing at his cheek, nipping at his neck a little bit before nodding for him to follow in a slow walk around the perimeter. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“I’m fine, just…it’s hard you know?” No of course Rick doesn’t know it was the one thing alphas couldn’t experience. Daryl sighs and runs his fingers through his hair, feeling uncomfortable but needing to explain. “It’s all new and weird and I’m not exactly good at sharing or letting people touch.”

“They’re just curious.” His alpha smiles again, leaning in to kiss behind his ear and making Daryl flush, already feeling better just from hearing the other man’s voice. “Carl is excited to be a big brother, Dale and Hershel are the only ones who have even met another male omega let alone a pregnant one and everyone’s just excited for you and the kits. You know this is a huge thing for any pack.”

He does, omegas are rare its why they were so prized and a litter was something for everyone to celebrate. But they didn’t have to carry the fucking kits themselves like he did. “I know, it’s just a huge thing for me too. It’s not that I don’t trust you all, it’s just…” Rick’s hand reaches out to lay on his bump gently, not pushing, just feeling and fuck it just feels perfect in everyway to have his alpha protecting his litter.

Daryl huffs out a little laugh of uncertainty, his own hands wavering in the air trying to decide whether to shove Rick away or tug him closer. Deciding somewhere between the two he leans into his side, placing a hand on top of Rick’s and trying not to feel so pathetic at all of this. His alpha growls protectively over him, moving to kiss at his temple, running his fingers over their unborn litter and making Daryl feel as if it was all going to be worth it in the end. He mewls a little in want, baring his neck to Rick and sighing in relaxation when his alpha bites him, humming in want and holding him and their litter close to his body.

Buried in Rick’s arms he almost doesn’t notice it at first, not in amongst the scent of rotting walkers, his own hormones and Rick’s alpha scent, but then it catches his sense and he’s tense and afraid. Rick’s instantly on alert, standing tall and one hand going to his holster whilst the other nudges for Daryl to get behind him. Of course he does, one hand going to his knife and the other pressed over his bump, scanning the area with Rick and not understanding how they could have gotten so close to their territory with the walkers around them.

That’s when they see her, a lone alpha against the fence, bleeding and snarling in line with the walkers, clutching a basket full of baby supplies and peanut butter.


	6. Gamble

The whole pack is on edge and really Daryl cannot blame them.

The rogue alpha is strong, she wields a sword with a passion and finesse he hasn’t seen before and she’d taken out a whole group of walkers without barely breaking a sweat and if she hadn’t been injured Daryl figures she wouldn’t have had to stop. She’s on their table being stitched up by Hershel, hissing in pain with each flick of the needle and glaring at T-Dog who keeps her weapon in his grip, not taking his eyes off of her whilst they deal with the problem at hand. Her scent feels completely wrong in their territory, making her stick out like a sore thumb when her blood splashes onto their ground and marks it forever.

It shows how close they all are nowadays that they don’t have to speak to know what to do. Rick is pacing back and forth before her, his presence strong and sure, protecting his pack instinctively as he watches her every move. Andrea is helping Hershel, keeping the female down to take the stitches and growling whenever she flinches but Daryl can see question in her eyes at her sudden appearance.

Roaming alphas didn’t just walk in to a pack’s territory. It was suicide to do such a thing and this alpha didn’t look stupid. She’s brought them the supplies they’d sent their scavengers out for, showing she knew something and she didn’t smell of Maggie and Glenn’s blood so there hadn’t been an attack. Shane was frustrated, completely on edge and not letting Daryl anywhere near her despite his curiosity at the situation, instead his alpha kept nudging him back whenever he took a step forward, keeping him with Carol and Lori, Dale standing by with his rifle and protecting him and the kits.

Rick is snarling, leaning over her when Hershel finishes his stitches and showing his position in the pack, towering over her when she ducks her head but meets his eyes. It’s a challenge and Daryl feels uncomfortable when she doesn’t submit to him entirely, showing her confidence despite the situation. “Why do you have the items our packmates were looking for?”

“Saw your packmates get taken by a group, a pretty boy alpha called the Governor leads them all.” She snorts, still not bowing her head to Rick as she speaks with venom. “They’ve got a territory called Woodbury up the way a bit, full of nothing but alphas and betas, they smelt your omega on them, took them for more information.”

Instinctively Daryl finds his hand pressed over his bump, taking a step back away from her and the thought that it has been his fault for what had happened burns in his gut. Whining a little he lets his gaze fall to the floor, guilt ripping through him and worry for Maggie and Glenn almost tangible in the air around them all. “Why come here? Why risk entering a pack’s territory?” Andrea asks, she’s not as strong as Rick if it came to a fight, but Daryl knows she’d give it her all anyway.

The alpha scoffs, sitting up and seemingly uncaring of her disrespect for the alphas around her. “A pregnant omega is a rarity these days, even more so than before. Once I caught his scent I knew the Governor would smell it on the Asian kid and the alpha girl, you deserved to be warned.”

Rick is growling again, a threat in his voice when he speaks. “Why would he risk a battle? We haven’t done anything to his pack, there’s no reason for him to attack us.” The need to protect is so ingrained in Rick right now that Daryl can smell the anger in his alpha at the mere thought of a potential threat to his pack. It’s something he clings to even if he’s still uneasy over the whole situation.

“You have an omega, one who can breed, the Governor won’t stop until he has such a valuable commodity for himself.” The alpha looks at him and he can feel her eyes on his body, making him tug the shirt down over his bump to try and hide it, nerves and worry creeping up his throat as she speaks. “He believes that Woodbury deserves to be able to grow strong and an omega is the way to do that quickly.”

Hershel’s calm tone of voice doesn’t give away his panic for his daughter’s safety but Daryl knows it’s there, lurking beneath the surface and he knows that he doesn’t want to push the old alpha far enough to see it come to show. “But Daryl is already carrying, he won’t go into heat again until the kits are at least a year old.” He points out and again the strange female alpha scoffs, giving a dark look to Rick before glancing over at him again, her eyes dragging over his body slowly.

“The Governor will not wait that long, he’ll do what he needs to get your omega into heat again.”

It’s too much for him to hear right now and before she can go into details he’s hurrying away, leaving them to carry on the interrogation and work out what to do whilst he tried to calm himself down. He knew what she meant, he could read between the lines and it’s as if every single worry he’d been denying himself was suddenly at the front of his mind. Daryl doesn’t make it far into the tombs before Shane is there behind him, wrapping his arms around him from behind and pressing against his back, strong and safe, keeping him grounded as panic and fear fly through him.

“I’m not going to let anything happen to you.” Shane is already comforting him, pressing his face to his neck and kissing there, biting a little and trying to get him to calm down through the panic. “Nothing is going to happen to you or our kits, I promise you Daryl. I won’t let it.”

Shaking his head he feels lost in worry, drowning at the mere thought of it all happening. “You heard what she said. He wants an omega Shane, and who knows what he’ll do to Maggie and Glenn to learn where I am?” His breath hitches, his chest feeling tight as he presses into Shane’s warmth and feeling his alpha’s fingers curl into his hair.

“Nothing is going to happen to you okay?” Shane isn’t calm, his voice isn’t the same tone that Rick’s is when he’s trying to soothe him, but it’s strong and it helps. His alpha shows his emotions, his anger easier and Daryl knows it’s not directed at him, but the potential threat. “He’s not going to get you.”

He’s crying, feeling pathetic and needy, clinging and whining like a lost omega and hating himself for it the whole time. “He wants me as a breeding bitch Shane. I don’t even know this guy or his pack and he wants to take me away from you, from our pack.” And the thought hurts, leaving him feeling lost and scared, desperate for the safety of pack and home and somewhere for his kits, their litter to be safe and protected.

Shane growls loudly, not in anger at him, but at the situation. “You’re not going anywhere, I won’t let him take you, I won’t let any of them lay a hand on you I swear.” His alpha is wrapped around him, moving to kiss him hard, marking him in more ways than one and easing Daryl through his sobs and panic.

“Shane he wants me in heat. He’ll take me away from you and he’ll…he’ll…” Daryl chokes on his words with a sob, every single horror story Merle had told him about omega theft winding through his head and making him feel sick. Clutching at his tiny bump he buries himself in Shane’s grip, trying to crawl into his skin and surround himself with his alpha’s scent when panic takes over him.

He knew what they’d do. There had been stories on the news, headlines of a pack’s omega being taken, being beaten and forced to miscarry their pack’s litter to force them back into heat for their new group. The thought made him sick and though he might not have been the most excited to find out about the litter he was carrying, the thought of something happening to his kits made him feel hollow and cold.

The litter was his connection with the pack, the first real sign that he was wanted and loved for being an omega, for being who he was and proof that he wasn’t broken despite his worries. The thought of having that taken away from him, at losing the part of his alpha’s that were inside of him and growing steadily makes him cling tighter to Shane, mewling in worry and trying to breathe through the tears. He felt pathetic, it was shameful to act so weak in front of others and before all of this he’d have kicked his own ass for being such a pussy. As it was he just hides himself away beneath Shane’s chin, feeling his bump press against his alpha’s body, hidden there as Shane hushes him, kisses at his hair and tries to soothe away the fear.

They remain that way for a while, he knows stress is bad for the kits but really how could he not be stressed over this situation? A rogue alpha just shows up on their doorstep telling them two of their pack had been kidnapped by a rival pack that were desperate for an omega and were willing to do whatever to expand their pack. It was a terrifying situation to be in and really he didn’t know where they were going to go from here.

When he’s calm enough to breathe properly Shane wipes away his tears, letting him stay close as they make their way back to the main cellblock. Daryl knows that as a second Shane’s got more important things to deal with right now than a scared omega, they need a plan of action to save Glenn and Maggie and Rick wasn’t going to make one without the input of his second.

Lingering besides Carol and Lori again he lets Dale stand before them with his rifle ready to fire on the intruder if he had to, ready to defend them at all costs. Carol takes his hand, offering her silent strength to him and he squeezes her hand back, needing the comfort right now when he felt so vulnerable. The rogue alpha calls herself Michonne, states she doesn’t have a pack and that she was willing to help them so long as she could get her hands on the Governor herself. Daryl isn’t sure what her problem with the man was, but frankly he didn’t care, so long as she was on their side in all of this.

Rick and Shane debate for a while, the two of them working out how they were going to get their packmates back from danger and let it be known that they were strong enough to defend themselves and their territory. There’s the worry of this all being a trap, but Rick shoots it down stating that even if it was they couldn’t afford to leave Maggie and Glenn to the Governor’s mercy. Right now they had a rival pack with some of their own and they needed to stand up for themselves.

Daryl feels sick when they announce the group that were going, Rick, Shane, T-Dog and the rogue Michonne, two of his alphas, the sires of his kits were heading off into danger. He wanted them to get Maggie and Glenn back but he also didn’t want to risk losing anyone else, of course he was worried for T-Dog as well, but the beta wasn’t a sire to his kits like the other two and he feels so uneasy about the two of them heading off. Andrea stepped up to defend their territory, of course she did and despite Carl’s protests Rick persuaded him he needed to stay here and keep them all safe.

Carl seems to take the order to heart and when Daryl has to walk away, unwilling and unable to say a possible last goodbye to them all because of a danger he’d brought upon them all, the kid follows him. Even when he growls in annoyance Carl doesn’t back off, probably ignoring his need to be alone and find somewhere quiet and small to hide away in. His instincts are alight right now, calling for him to protect himself and his kits, to keep himself protected now that two of his alphas had left him to defend himself.

Sure he still had Andrea and the rest of the pack, but he had a right to be terrified. This was all his fault, if he’d never presented as a fucking omega then none of this would have happened. “Get lost Carl.” He snarls, heading down the darkened pathways of the tombs towards their shower area. “Need to be alone for a while.”

He likes this part of the prison, it calms him to know there wasn’t a lot of foot traffic around here and that he could relax in the shadows without being bothered so much. Well except for now with Carl still following him as he tries to find somewhere comfortable to worry. “No, I’m not leaving you or the litter alone right now, you need someone to protect you, just in case.” The kid sounds so sure of himself, stern like Rick but basing his actions on his emotions like Shane.

“You ain’t my alpha, Rick, Shane and Andrea are so it ain’t your problem!” He snarls, stalking down the hallways a bit faster, trying to get the kid to back off whilst he tries to ignore the tightness in his chest at the thought of two of his alphas out there and taking on danger with barely any information.

Carl runs to catch up and walk alongside him when he begins opening doors, checking what’s on the other side before slamming them shut. “And two of them are out there, if something happens to them you’re going to need someone here to protect you. I know I’m not your alpha, but I’m still an alpha and it’s my job to protect my pack members, that includes you and your kits.” The kid places a hand on the small of his back, not pushing but just trying to be reassuring and fuck Daryl hates that everyone thinks he’s so fragile and pathetic to need this.

“I don’t need you to protect me!” He snaps, turning to face Carl in the darkness and not caring that the kid jerks back a little, his scent turning to frustration and his instincts telling him to apologise and submit to the alpha. “I can do it myself, never needed you all before and I sure as heck don’t need you now!” Gritting his teeth he ignores the part of him that wants to be protected; the part of him that had clung to Shane and his words like they were a lifeline.

Finding what he’s looking for he slips inside the laundry storage closet, pushing past the racks of prison jumpsuits and slipping to the floor beneath a shelf, wedging himself in there and hating that this is where he feels safest right now. It’s stupid, he should had fought more to be able to go, he could have found that fucking Governor alpha and given him a piece of his mind, stabbed the fucker in the face and shown him that he wasn’t going to be having this omega. The bump stops him from being able to drag his knees as close as he used to so he gives up sitting like that, instead Daryl just stays in the corner, pressed against the wall and glaring at Carl who had followed him in. Growling a little at the young alpha he hates that that’s about as far as his body will let him push his superior and when Carl ignores the growls and scoots beneath the shelf with him there’s not much else he can do aside from run away again.

Honestly he didn’t want to move from this spot if he didn’t have to.

The kid lets them sit in silence for a while, fidgeting with the gun in his lap and watching the closed door, clearly ready to do what he needed to in order to protect their mini territory within a territory. Daryl sighs, letting his head rest back against the wall and hating how this whole situation was turning out. As soon as he’d started to get a little excited at the idea of having kits something had to ruin it all, leaving them all on edge and insecure about their safety, more danger cropping up out of the woodwork and a rogue alpha just waltzing in like she owned the place.

It fucking burns to be so useless but the part of him that’s desperate to defend himself seems to be in a constant battle with his instincts nowadays, his omega status telling him that his job was to produce his alphas’ litter safely and sometimes the easiest way to do that was to avoid conflict.

“Daryl, I know you don’t need protecting but the kits do.” Carl speaks softly to him, not wanting to ruin the sanctity of their tiny haven with anger. “They’re my brothers and sisters you’re carrying and if you won’t let me protect you then at least let me protect them.” He sounds so fucking upset at the thought of anything happening to the litter and Daryl has to wonder if Andrea had taught him how to manipulate with his words and emotions like she tended to sometimes. Sometimes he forgets this whole thing isn’t just about him, that he’s in a pack now and that means they’re all in this together even if he was used to doing things on his own.

He knows Carl is just trying to help and following what his alpha body is telling him to do, the kid is just learning his role in the pack and besides, maybe having some company might keep his mind off of worrying so much. “You’re going to be a good big brother if you’re already protecting them.” He mutters, not willing to admit to giving in to the kid, but it seems to be enough and Carl smiles up to him.

“You think so? I’m kind of worried, I don’t know anything about babies.” The kid admits with a shrug, scooting closer to Daryl in the small space, a barrier between himself and the door and really it shouldn’t make him feel as secure as it does.

Smiling a little he’s amazed to find himself actually feeling a little calmer with Carl here, the kid was trying so hard for him and really he had to give him points for that. Besides, admitting his faults to a kid wasn’t as hard as doing so to an adult. “Join the club.”

“Yeah but you’re an omega, Hershel keeps saying everything will come naturally to you when it all happens.” Carl sighs, as if along with the kits will come a textbook with all the answers inside of it. “He keeps saying you need to stop trying to fight your instincts and just go with what feels right.”

Rolling his eyes a little Daryl doesn’t mind when Carl moves closer enough to let their legs press together, the little alpha not scenting him, but giving a physical comfort to him easily. “Easy for him to say, he doesn’t have the craving to chew on rocks or find shitty laundry closets to hide in when he feels on edge.”

“I’m scared too.” Because despite them being Daryl’s alphas, Rick and Shane were Carl’s parents, the ones who were training him to be a strong alpha and influencing his life. This wasn’t just about him at all and he felt guilty for continually thinking of how this was only affecting him. “I know I say I can take care of myself and as an alpha I know I should, but sometimes I still want to be looked after.”

Daryl smiles at that. It seems he wasn’t the only one trying to find out their way into a role, and maybe he wasn’t the age of a fledgling like Carl, but he was certainly learning just like he was. “Don’t tell anyone I said this, but me too.” He was so used to just projecting a front of strength and attitude, suddenly being allowed to be himself was awkward and taking its time to get used to. Carl nods, making a motion of locking his lips and throwing away the key, still very much a fledgling in some aspects, but growing strong. They sit for a while in companionable silence, just enjoying the dry warmth of the laundry closet and each other’s company and when Carl glances at his bump for the fifth time Daryl is feeling generous. “Give me your hand.”

Carl immediately holsters his gun, throwing his hand out to Daryl and kneeling in front of him with a smile and a bounce of excitement. Carefully he presses Carl’s hand to the bump through the clothing, placing a hand on top of his and pressing them both down until Carl can feel the firm little bundle inside of him. There’s no movement yet and there won’t be for a few weeks, but the feeling of something actually being there, real and alive inside of him seems to be enough and Carl is grinning with a slight laugh. “Hey kits, I’m your big brother Carl.”

“They can’t hear you.” Daryl snorts at the kid talking to his bump as if it was going to reply, but Carl shrugs, still smiling and feeling the tension and the real proof of his younger siblings. “They ain’t nothing yet.”

“Course they’re something. They’re just little, mom said they might start moving in the next few weeks, will you tell me when they do?” And the kid looks up at him with such big pleading eyes, begging and desperate to already be a part of the kits’ lives despite them being nothing more then blobs right now.

“Course I will.” Daryl smiles with a sigh, feeling the tightness in his chest at the worry for his alphas loosen just enough to breathe easier. At least he knew he would be in good hands in case the worst happened. “Wouldn’t be right if their big brother didn’t get to feel ‘em move.”

The kid nods, looking up at him kindly through his hair. “You feeling a bit better Daryl?” Carl asks, still rubbing over his bump, pushing against the resistance there and still smiling. When he nods the kid sits back on his knees with a nod before shuffling out from beneath the shelf and holding out a hand to him. “Good, because we should head back or they’re going to start panicking.”

With a sigh and a groan of agreement he slides himself out of his self made shelter, taking Carl’s hand grateful for the help when the bump tended to send him off balance. They make their way back to the cellblock slowly, Carl with his weapon drawn just in case and Daryl just behind him, letting the young alpha protect him if he needed to.

As soon as they enter there’s a collective sigh of relief from the pack, Lori and Carol giving him grateful smiles as they go over to sit at the table with them all, Hershel and Beth clearly still worried for Maggie but putting brave faces. Carl grabs the basket of supplies Michonne had brought back and immediately passes the jar of peanut butter to Daryl before emptying the rest of the contents on the table between them. “Christ ya’ll know I’m only having one litter right?” Daryl can’t believe the amount of baby clothing they’d found let alone how much they’d decided to bring back before getting taken.

Beth giggles, smiling for a moment as she begins sorting through the clothing, picking through the items with excitement and looking at all the patterns on the soft fabric. “But we don’t know how many kits will be in that litter Daryl, daddy says since you’re showing early it’ll be a decent size.” And she’d excited for him, he can see it in her eyes and the way she brightens up with each piece of clothing she folds up and sets aside neatly. “Besides, kits get through a lot of clothes.”

Daryl has to wonder if she’d been wishing to have a kit of her own, betas could only have one at a time, but maybe that was all Beth would have needed. The girl looked like she had a lot of love and caring to give, and Daryl knows she’ll be a big help when the kits finally do arrive. Shoving a spoonful of peanut butter in his mouth he just watches as they all go through the clothing, cooing over tiny little baby booties, pink and blue hats go into a little pile and Lori and Carol seem more than happy to get to play mom all over again.

It’s kind of overwhelming to see the clothing set out, little tiny clothes designed for actual mini people and not just blobs of cells that were growing inside of him. For the first time in a while he finds himself actually looking forward to getting to use the clothing, to get to hold his kits in his arms and care for them with the help of his pack. It’s still daunting as hell, but the pack was here for him and more than happy to help.

“Any sign of movement yet?” Hershel asks and despite the worry obvious through the tension in his body, his eyes are smiling, bright and with the look Daryl supposed grandparents sometimes got. “It should be happening soon enough.”

Sucking the peanut butter off the spoon his gives a shrug, tugging one of the baby grows close enough to trace the pattern of little elephants on it with a finger. Before he can swallow and answer he finds Carl doing so for him, eager to share and talk about his younger siblings. “Not yet, Daryl let me feel and they’re not moving yet, but I can tell they’re getting there.”

“Oh you felt them huh?” Lori is grinning, looking to Daryl with those kind eyes that speak of thanks for him allowing her son to finally touch the bump and be a part of the kits’ lives. “So tell me Mr expert how many do you think there will be?”

Carl frowns for a moment, tapping at the table and picking at the baby hats before replying with a firm nod, as if he knew for sure. “Four. Big brother intuition tells me so. Two boys and two girls so it’s even.” He nods, and Christ the kid looks so certain that Daryl is about ready to just believe him and gather more supplies for that amount of kits.

“We should have a bet.” Carol speaks up, folding the last of the baby clothes and moving on to fold the cloth diapers into a pile. “Just a little thing between us all, how many kits and how many of each sex. It’ll be fun.” There’s a chorus of agreement from them all and Daryl watches as they begin thinking of their own answers.

“What does the winner get?” Of course Carl wants to know the reward, kid was still a kid after all.

“We’ll all chip something in with our bets, a candy bar or something, winner takes all.” Hershel may not seem to be the gambling type, but the old man was nodding to their food stores and Daryl knows the winner would share anyway so it’s not much of a prize. Still it could be fun.

“Sounds cool! But I know I’m going to win.” He rolls his eyes at Carl’s confidence and continues with his peanut butter, letting the stickiness of it cling to the roof of his mouth as he listens to them all debate over what he was carrying.

“Well you’ve got an advantage since you felt them. I think we’ll have six, four girls and two boys.” Beth smiles, jotting down her bet on the paper she’d found in an office, scribbling a quick chart with their names down the sides and writing all their bets beside them. Each person adds their own thoughts, and with each new guess Daryl begins to wonder himself, the bigger numbers terrify him still, but there’s a part of him that can picture himself with the litter when they were born, an array of pink and blue baby hats that were all his. “What about you Daryl? You should get a bet too.”

Chewing on the metal of the spoon he lets the metallic tang hit his tongue, shrugging for a moment and thinking it over. Honestly he had no clue how many he was going to have or what sex they would be, but it’s nice to actually start thinking of them as people and not just a reason his pants wouldn’t do up properly. Really there’s no way to know the real number until it happens, they didn’t have the equipment to get an answer any sooner and would have to wait for the big reveal at the end. Smiling a little he decides he doesn’t want to make a choice now and risk getting attached to his mental picture and being disappointed when the results came out. “I dunno, I still reckon it’s just wind or something.”

The pack’s laughter is interrupted by Andrea’s shouts of the rest of their pack returning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So place your bets people, how many kits will there be in Daryl's litter and what sex will they be? Winner will get to make a request of me for a 1,000 word or so fic after the results have come to be. You don't have to participate of course, but thought it might be a bit of fun to see what you guys were thinking. Comments are appreciated as always and thank you all for enjoying this fic as much as I am enjoying writing it :3


	7. Settling things

They move outside as a group, each of them on edge and scared of what they might find or who they might see, Daryl is grateful that Carl decides to stick near him for the time being. Knotting his fingers in the chain link fence he peers towards the group heading in through their bolthole, counting them all and finding that the numbers should be comforting when he sees that there are six returning. But it’s wrong, there are four pack members sure, including his two returning alphas, Maggie and Glenn clinging to each other as they made their way home. One was the rogue alpha, Michonne for whatever reason was returning with them with a blood stained sword and a foul look on her face.

He can feel the pack beside him give in to their grief at the realisation, Dale removing his stupid hat and holding it over his chest in respect, Carol and Lori are crying and Daryl hits at the fence when T-Dog is nowhere to be seen. It’s painful, it hurts and there’s an ache inside of himself that he knows will never heal. They’ve lost a pack member today and it was all because of him and what he was.

Between the grief he can feel something else though, a worry, some confusion and when Carl moves to tug on his shirt, pointing to the last member that was following the group Daryl’s mind goes blank at what he sees. It’s not right, it feels impossible and for a moment he forgets to breathe as every dream and nightmare merge into one single fact.

Merle had returned.

It’s as if the world freezes around him for a moment and he’s just watching this all happen, as if he wasn’t really there and it was happening to someone else. Rick and Shane were back and he wanted to jump between them immediately, have them scent him deeply, one on either side and make it hard to breathe. He wanted to growl and snarl at the rogue alpha to get the hell away from them all and leave them alone. Maggie and Glenn were alive if a little beaten up, but he wanted to hug them close, share his affection for them and apologise for being the reason for all of this.

When it came to Merle he was completely lost.

On the one hand he wanted to sprint up to him, to grab on and never let go again for fear of Merle wandering off again and leaving him alone. But on the other side of it he wanted to run and hide, to keep the bump a secret from him and let things go back to how they had before, with him pretending to be an alpha and hiding his omega status. There was a split between pack and family right now, burning its way down his centre until he’s completely lost within himself and trembling at the thought of having to make a choice.

This wasn’t what he’s had planned at all. As far as he could consider it all Merle had been lost to him, far away and leaving him again, abandoned and trying to survive through his first heat without anyone there to help him. He’d had to turn to the pack, he couldn’t have survived on his own, not in heat and out in the wild for anyone to take. There hadn’t been a choice, he’d had to give in, Merle didn’t understand what it had been like and now here he was, fucking carrying a litter with no idea how in the hell to justify his choices to his brother.

They enter the courtyard and Daryl really doesn’t know who to go to first. He wants to greet his alphas, let them know how much he adored them and that he’d been so scared they weren’t going to return to him and their kits. Then there’s the part of him that wants to go to Merle, to really make sure that he was real and safe and here with him again. The worry has him split right down the middle and all he can do is stare stupidly as they head towards the pack, Michonne standing to the side unsure as everyone else knew where to go.

Maggie of course goes to her father and sister, clinging to them both and sobbing in relief at being home. Glenn joins them, their own little family within a family, close as anything and just so pleased to all be safe and well in this terrifying world.

Rick and Shane have their arms full with Lori and Carl, the two of them burying themselves closer, kissing and hugging the two alphas as everyone else gathers around, leaving him alone beside the fence and unable to move as Merle draws closer to him.

His brother is skinnier than before, a lot of his alpha bulk having been lost through the lack of food there was nowadays, but the worst part was his hand or the lack of it. Instead there’s a crude device attached to the stump, a metal covering with a bayonet ending, vicious and cruel looking and so very very Merle. He knows he must smell of unease and panic, because he can smell that his alphas are on edge and he knows they’re watching him for signs of distress when Merle finally reaches him.

“Well that’s no way to greet your long lost brother. Come here and give ol’ Merle a hug.” Christ it really is Merle, the same voice, the same scent the same everything he’s always looked up to and loved about him. But the problem isn’t Merle, it’s himself, he’s not the same anymore and he never will be again.

Tugging at the hem of Shane’s shirt he feels the need to make sure he’s covered when Merle steps closer, leaning down to press their foreheads together and fuck he’s going to blame the tears in his eyes on the hormones. It’s like everything has all come crashing down on him at once and he’s fucking lost at how to cope with it all. Usually Merle would know what to do, Merle would help, Merle would calm him down and make him feel better, but he doesn’t know what his brother will do about this. There’s a terrifying part of him that fears that bayonet stabbing through his abdomen and clearing the problem completely.

He’s carrying. He’s carrying and not only is there a bump but his scent has altered to let the world know that he’s an omega and he’s carrying a litter and fuck he’s so scared that Merle is going to be mad at him. It’s every part of his life that shouldn’t mix together thrown into one big mess and he doesn’t know how in the hell to start with sorting it out. Merle is here and pressing their foreheads together in that way he always had before when he needed him, staying close and being his brother, his alpha, his protector and his everything.

Raising a hand to press against his mouth he tries to muffle himself as the sobs come, harsh and jolting through his chest until he’s crumpled against Merle, buried in the familiar scent of his brother and clinging to his shirt. “It’s all right baby brother.” Merle soothes him, his good hand coming up to rub at his hair, holding him close and safe and fuck he’s missed him so fucking much it hurts. “I’m here. Merle’s here and I’m not going anywhere.”

Daryl cries, pathetic and weak, every bit the omega he never wanted to be in front of Merle and hating that he feels so guilty for being what he is and giving in to instincts. Merle holds him and doesn’t let go, not for a second, not even when Daryl is pressed close enough for the bump to be flush against Merle’s own body and impossible to ignore. He can’t believe he’s hear and alive, returning with his pack and really here and not yelling at him for the moment.

“Let’s get inside, we need to talk.” Rick orders and immediately everyone is on alert and doing as they’re told, and even if Merle has no reason to obey, he follows Daryl inside without putting up too much of a fight. There’s the grunts of annoyance but to Daryl it wouldn’t be Merle if he did anything without some sort of complaint. “All of us.” And with that Michonne is following them inside, her sword still out, still on edge and ready to attack but following directions easily enough.

They settle in the cell block, everyone scattering about in small groups, some at the table, some leaning against the walls but everyone watching Rick and Shane as they begin to explain what had happened. Daryl can’t watch them right now, not with the guilt still heavy in his stomach and Merle’s hand squeezing gently at his knee whilst his tears continue in silence. He’s grateful the baby clothes have been shoved away, he really didn’t need such a brazen reminder of his problem right now.

“We lost T-Dog today.” Rick’s voice is strong for them all but Daryl can hear that his alpha is broken up inside over the whole thing. It was his job to protect his pack and he’d failed in the most horrendous of ways. “He was a strong beta, one who was able to follow as well as lead. He was a huge part of this pack, a friend to us all, a protector of our lives and someone who will be sorely missed. There is no body for us to bury, but there will be a grave and we shall pay our respects to him. He fought for this pack, he fought for his family and we shall honour him.”

“We shall honour him.” The pack echoes, voices in sync and filling the cell block for a moment in T-Dog’s memory.

“T-Dog died in Woodbury.” Shane places a hand on Rick’s shoulder, sharing his strength as he continues explaining what happened, taking the responsibility from his first. “We infiltrated the walls and he created a diversion whilst Michonne went for the Governor and Rick and I headed for the holding rooms to find our packmates. When we got there they were already free, Merle had been waiting for cover to get them free and T-Dog’s distraction gave him that chance. We were able to escape because of T-Dog, he distracted them for us, played the diversion and gave his life so we could bring our packmates, Daryl’s brother and our new ally home to our territory.” Daryl keeps his head bowed as Shane finishes, unable to meet anyone’s eyes and grateful for the pack being there to give their strength to each other in the moment of sadness.

There’s a silence between them all, heads bowed in silent memory, Daryl thinking of how he’d taught T-Dog how to hunt and spent so many evenings in the woods with him tracking down dinner for them all. The resentment he’d felt towards the other man for dropping the key on Merle had all but evaporated from him, leaving him with a friend who had been caring and never judged him for his status and not T-Dog was gone and all because of him.

When Rick breaks the silence he seems calmer, a leader talking to his troops with strength and a conviction that was a little daunting. Not for the first time Daryl feels his heart leap a little at knowing this was his alpha, someone who would do anything to protect him and his kits. “Woodbury is dangerous, there are more of them then there are of us but they are untrained and following the lead of an alpha who may seem vicious, but has a way with words. They follow him not through fear but through belief and hope, that makes them even more dangerous an enemy.” He growls and Daryl knows that this threat is real is Rick is so tense, carrying his anger in his shoulders and the way he holds himself, on edge and ready to attack at a moment’s notice.

Shane nods before turning to the rogue alpha, the one he’d called ally who stood to the side. Daryl still feels uneasy around her but if his alphas trusted her then he should have faith and do the same too. “Michonne?”

She steps forward, the hilt of her sword still clasped in her hand, ready to defend herself if she needs to and Daryl can tell from the way her dark eyes scan the group that she’s always looking for danger. “I managed to wound him.” And there’s a tiny smirk, a quirk of her lip and sneer of teeth that show her pleasure at that fact. “Stabbed him in the eye, blinded the fucker, taught him to think twice before thinking of trying anything else.”

Merle gives a weary sigh, moving to rub at his eyes before he speaks, not posturing at the moment, but his voice is form, that of an alpha just stating the facts. “He will keep trying. The Governor was the one who found me after Atlanta, I was half starved, delirious from blood loss and pretty much a dead man walking. There was no reason for him to save me, it wasn’t until I was healthy and had my mind right again that I realised why he’d bothered to waste the time and resources saving me.” The gentle squeeze to his knee lets him know the reason before Dale says it.

“He smelt Daryl on you.”

Merle nods, lips pinched into a tight line before he continues, not letting go of Daryl’s knee the whole time. “The man is obsessed with omegas. Every day that goes by without him finding one for his pack he gets a little worse, a little more desperate. It doesn’t matter to him that he’s got enough betas to have twenty kits if he wanted, he wants an omega for his pack and he’d do anything to get it. I told him I just stank of some omega I’d caught in heat the day before, he was pissed but then found out I had military training and saw me as a decent investment. Anytime he got a lead on an omega I made sure I was there to check it out, to make sure it wasn’t you baby brother.” Daryl can’t meet his brother’s eyes when he speaks, the thought of all of this being because of him makes guilt churn in his gut and he hates that they’ve lost someone because of all this.

“So why’d you let him take Glenn and Maggie back to Woodbury?” Carol asks, her tears have dried but she’s still upset and desperate for answers, and Daryl can see the way she looks at Merle, as if his brother had something to do with this whole thing and wasn’t trustworthy.

“He didn’t.” Glancing up Daryl finds Maggie still within the knot of her family but strong, her voice not giving in to the fear she must have felt the whole time. “It was just a group of men that found us, they had us surrounded and as soon as they smelt omega on us we were pinned down and taken back. They interrogated us, I could see how desperate The Governor was, the look in his eyes was terrifying.” She shivers, reaching out to hold Glenn’s hand and Daryl can see the dark bruises against his face. “They tried everything, beat Glenn, threatened us, even set a walker on us when we wouldn’t talk.”

“Soon as Merle came in and killed that walker I knew he knew. We knew we had to get back here to warn you all, but hey there you were already there interrupting our in progress escape plan.” And of course Glenn is grinning, as if this whole thing was a joke or one of his video games he’d liked before all of this, trying to make light of the situation and ease the tension in the room. It doesn’t work, but Daryl has to give him points for trying.

“Couldn’t believe it when I found the chinaman and farmgirl covered in your scent.” Merle nudges him, and when he continues to speak he sounds more like the old Merle, stubborn and teasing and not in the good way. “Thought I was going crazy at first, I mean I knew it was you but when you came up carrying I couldn’t believe it. But heck, here you are gone and got yourself up the duff by a pack.”

“Weren’t like that Merle.” He mumbles, chewing on his thumb and hating the way Merle speaks about his situation, as if he had somehow betrayed him or something.

Merle snorts but there’s no humour in it and when he leans closer it’s with all the posturing of an alpha, using his bigger body to emphasis his place as he sneers to Daryl. “Yeah I’m sure it weren’t.”

“Merle…” He doesn’t want to do this right now, not in front of the pack, not with T-Dog dead and himself completely on edge at the whole thing. It was too much to deal with right now and he didn’t want to have this fight that was building between them.

“Enough.” Rick snaps, stopping it before it can go any further and Daryl smiles to him gratefully. “We need to reinforce the prison in case of an attack. We’ll have someone on watch at all times, everyone has weapons on them no matter what and no one goes anywhere by themselves understood?” He barks and the pack all nods in agreement, some heading off to take care of the duties, whilst others follow Rick’s instructions.

“Dale, find Michonne a cell to call her own, Merle would you-“

“I’ll share with Daryl.” His brother cuts in, and Daryl doesn’t have the heart to complain.

Rick nods but Daryl can see the way he looks over his brother, as if he’s worried about Daryl and his litter being near him. Yes there’s a tension there, but Merle was Merle and despite everything he wouldn’t do anything to try and hurt Daryl, he knew that much at least. “The two of you will be under observation for the time being, if you prove yourselves there will be a vote to see if you get to join the pack or will be exiled.” Michonne nods, understanding her place and slinking away with Andrea.

Of course Merle isn’t so calm and when everyone else has dispersed leaving two of his alphas one with he and his brother, Merle stands up, all cocky smiles and bad attitude. “What family doesn’t get a free pass into the pack?” He chuckles, stepping closer to Shane and Rick, not backing down and asking for a fight as always. “And here I thought you screwing my brother would make us practically brothers in law.”

His stomach tightens at the mocking tone to his voice and he can’t help but place a hand on the bump as the guilt and shame rips through him. “Merle stop it.” He knows he’s begging, his voice is small and pathetic right now but he just doesn’t want to do this and Merle kept pushing.

“What it’s true.” His brother shrugs with a sneer, pacing back and forth in front of his alphas and Daryl can see Shane tense, ready to attack if he needed to. “As soon as I’m gone you spread your legs for whatever alpha walks your way. Tell me how long was it after I was abandoned? Did you even come look for me or were you immediately on your knees?” He may be talking to Daryl, but he’s facing Rick and Shane, watching with glee as they get more and more worked up, ready to defend their omega even if it was against his own brother.

Daryl watches as Rick takes a step closer, barely a hair’s breadth away from Merle as he places a hand on Shane’s shoulder, keeping the more volatile alpha back from outright attack. “It wasn’t like that Merle so back off, Daryl doesn’t have to explain himself to you.” Rick’s voice is low with a growl hidden between the words and that feeling in his chest blooms again at his alpha being so protective of him.

Merle laughs in his face, loud and without an ounce of humour there. “Oh lookie here, got your alphas protecting you from the big bad Merle, what you can’t defend yourself now? Here I thought I taught you better than that brother.” Daryl snarls, every memory of Merle trying to train him up to be an alpha even after he’d presented creeping into his mind and making him slam his hands to the tabletop as he stands.

“I can defend myself just fine Merle so back off!” He snarls and Merle smirks, getting the reaction he was used to and moving closer, challenging him even though they both know he should back down to an alpha.

“Well I can see that’s not what you said to them.” His brother snickers, gesturing to Rick and Shane before leaning down over him, using that fucking baby voice and pinching at Daryl’s cheek like he was a kid again. “Let me guess you got your first heat and couldn’t handle it? After everything I did for you, you can’t cope with one itty bitty little heat by yourself?”

He’s so angry and he knows his alphas can feel it, they step closer to him, Rick reaching out a hand and Daryl can’t help but growl to them both, wanting them to just back off and leave this to him. He may be an omega but he’d fought his own battles for long enough not to need rescuing from his own brother. “You weren’t there Merle, you don’t know what it’s like.” Daryl explains, standing to his full height, glaring to Merle and ignoring every part of his instincts that are telling him this is a bad idea.

“I know you spread your legs like a complete whore for them as soon as I was out of the picture. What’s the matter with you? I spend our whole lives protecting you, teaching you to stop this all from happening and the second my back is turned you just give in.” When Merle gestures to his stomach Daryl takes a step back, pressing a hand over the bump protectively and feeling his body want to do anything to protect his litter.

The guilt bubbles inside of him again and he really can’t do this with his alpha’s watching. This was between he and Merle and no one else. Nodding for them to leave he knows they’re wary, both snarling at Merle on their way past but Daryl knows they may yell and fight, but Merle wouldn’t hurt him, not now, not ever. “Merle it’s not like I can help it. I’m not in control during my heats and I’d never had one before.” His voice shows his anger but it’s controlled for the moment as he tries to explain.

“So what they took you against your will?” And now Merle was trying to push his buttons, snarling and stalking back and forth, as if his alphas would ever do such a thing.

“No Merle you’re being stupid on purpose. I can’t help what I want during the heats.” Trying to explain wasn’t working, Merle was being difficult and fuck he knew it would be hard to mesh both sides of his life, but this was getting more and more painful. “Why are you making this so difficult? What I do or don’t do is none of your business anyway.” Because he wasn’t Merle’s responsibility any more and didn’t have to depend on him for safety.

Merle snarls louder, getting in his face and if he wasn’t used to this Daryl knows he would submit. As it is he stops himself from doing so, growling back and pressing his forehead against Merle’s when he brother speaks. “None of my business? So I spend my life protecting you and this is the thanks I get? My little brother immediately giving himself in to a pack as soon as I’m gone.” As if he had the right to tell him what to do.

Rolling his eyes Daryl pushes him back, not caring when Merle growls low and dangerous to him in warning. “What was I supposed to do Merle? We joined a pack to keep me safe in the first place and then you went and acted a dick, getting yourself chained to a roof and leaving me on my own, again!” Now he’s yelling, angry at his brother for doing this to him and making them need to have this conversation in the first place. “I couldn’t go off on my own, that would have been a death sentence if my heat kicked in, then I really would have been raped and made a pack’s breeding bitch. I wanted to stay with them, they’re my pack and not just because I’m carrying. They’re my alphas, they’re my betas and I’m their omega.” He states, breathing heavily and watching as Merle paces back and forth in front of him like a caged animal, on edge and showing it with every step.

His brother glares at him for a while, fists clenched tightly at his sides and growling low constantly. When he finally speaks it’s scathing, meant to hurt and make him submit and back down to Merle like he always used to. “What the hell happened to you Daryl? The end of the world’s gone and made you someone you ain’t.” Merle shakes his head, as if Daryl was nothing more than a disappointment and had betrayed him somehow.

Whatever he’d been holding back inside of himself snaps and in a second he’s in Merle’s face, yelling and snarling, acting alpha but feeling like nothing more than an omega defending his position. “No Merle it’s made me realise who I am. My whole life you’ve tried to make me be the brother you always wanted and I tried so fucking hard to be that for you. I went against everything my instincts were telling me and tried to be an alpha like you wanted, I tried to be good enough for you but I never was.” He pants, not taking his glare from Merle’s eyes and refusing to back down as he tries to get it through his brother’s thick skull. “They don’t care. They don’t care that I’m not an alpha, they don’t think any less of me for being an omega and being who I am. They looked after me through the heats and injuries, they’ve let me learn how to be an omega at my own pace and they don’t care that I’m fucking lost when it comes to that.” Daryl knows he’s shaking a little and that the stress isn’t good for the kits but right now this needs to be said. “I spent my life pretending to be something I’m not for you and I’m still trying to learn who I am now.”

There’s a silence between them for a moment, Merle just staring at him with a snarl, waiting for him to back down like he always used to and getting more worked up when he didn’t. Finally his brother pulls back, spitting to the side and when he speaks he’s not yelling, just clearly unsettled by this all. “Just cause you’re an omega doesn’t mean you have to give in to what they want and be their breeding bitch.”

He knows it’s been a fear of Merle’s ever since he presented and though they didn’t ever say it much he knew his brother loved him and only ever wanted to protect him. Daryl’s sure it’s hard for Merle to let anyone else take that role in his younger brother’s life. “I didn’t Merle.” He soothes, stepping closer to place a hand on his arm and keep him calm. “I wanted this, this is what I wanted and I wanted it with them. Sure I’m scared as fuck about all of it, I still don’t know how to be an omega let alone a parent, but I know that they’re here for me when I get confused and will help me. All they want to do is protect me, just like you did before, they’re just doing it a different way is all.”

“So they’re better than me now?” Merle snorts, still defensive, folding his arms across his chest and standing firm, as if they were going to fight again over this.

Daryl shakes his head with a sigh, leaning closer to rest his head on his brother’s shoulder, to be close and feel as safe as he did when he was younger. “No Merle, they’re just new and it works for me right now.” He purrs a little, moving to muzzle beneath his brother’s chin and take in his scent better. “I know this is a lot to take in right now but this is who I am, this is what I was made for Merle. I am an omega and I’m going to be a parent and I want you here to help me with all of this, but I’m not going to be forced to choose between you and my pack.” Because he shouldn’t be forced to in the first place when this is where he was meant to be.

Merle is still angry, he can feel it in the tension running through him, but when his brother wraps his arms around him in a loose hug, Daryl knows he’s at least actually listening to him for once. “What cause you’d choose them every time over your own brother?” He sounds put out at the thought and Daryl has to shake his head lightly before looking up to meet his eyes.

“No, I’d choose my kits every time over all of you.” Daryl feels calmer, his voice is even, just stating the facts and placing a hand on his bump lightly, feeling the pressure there that was his responsibility. “You want to stay? Then prove you deserve to be here and that you deserve to be a part of your future nieces and nephews lives.” It’s not a lot to ask really, for him to want his pack and his brother to get along and to have the one person who’d always protected him in his own way be here to protect him now when he was at his most vulnerable. “Please.”

His brother continues to hold him, not meeting his eyes but Daryl knows it’s just because they don’t talk about this sort of thing and it was difficult to give in to something that had become habit. Merle gives a half nod and to Daryl that means everything right now.


	8. Opening moves

In the following weeks Merle actually manages to find a place in the group. He hunts for them all when Daryl becomes rather incapable of doing so himself, his brother takes his turn on watch whenever he needs to and though they don’t tend to talk about their fight or anything brought up in it, Daryl can see that Merle is trying hard for him. There’s still the attitude his brother has always had, and he snaps and acts all alpha over the slightest of things, but it’s manageable and nowhere near enough to get Merle chained up and at the risk of losing his other hand.

He has missed his brother, he honestly has, but things were different now and he knew sometimes Merle was jealous of him having other alphas to go to if he needed them. His scent was constantly mixed with the pack’s, his alphas and the litter he’s carrying; a huge difference from when he and Merle’s scents were practically inseparable. Daryl still enjoys having him close and in the moments when they’re alone he finds himself actually able to relax fully as much as he does when he’s around Rick or Shane.

It’s early morning with the sun just beginning to peek over the horizon when Daryl is awoken abruptly. Groaning in annoyance he presses closer to Merle’s warmth, burying his face in his brother’s chest and trying to drift back off to sleep. His brother grunts a little at his wriggling, slinging an arm over Daryl’s waist in his sleep and keeping him pressed close.

His bump has been slowly growing every day, getting to the point that all he can wear with the hope of them remaining up are sweat pants and any large shirts Glenn finds on his runs. It’s uncomfortable, his body is accommodating the growth as much as it can but he still finds himself constantly needing to pee and the cravings have only gotten more extreme. For whatever reason sleep isn’t coming back to him this morning and it’s with a sigh that he peeks up from his brother’s chest to check his countdown.

Week sixteen isn’t exactly starting too well for him right now, but he figures it could be worse. There’s been no sign of the Governor or his Woodbury pack anywhere near them which was a relief, he had a hope that maybe they’d lost interest in him and had moved on to actually living their lives and not worrying over omegas. The prison was growing, their mini farm was sprouting and at the moment they actually had enough supplies to last for a while without any worry.

Andrea and the rogue Michonne had been getting close, it seemed they had a connection from the start and in a way Daryl knew Andrea admired the other alpha and heck they would probably be able to lead a damned strong pack between them. Maggie and Glenn were only getting closer, Daryl wouldn’t be surprised if they decided to mate with each other eventually and produce a kit of their own, but for now there seemed to be the silent choice to wait for the litter first.

Squirming a little at some discomfort he feels Merle growl against him, and can only hum in apology as he tries to get comfortable to at least rest even if he couldn’t sleep. There’s a feeling in his abdomen that is keeping him awake, he doesn’t know if it’s wind, the lingering morning sickness or what but damn it’s annoying. “Fuck’s sake.” He murmurs to himself, feeling Merle nudge for him to shut the hell up and not caring that he’s uncomfortable.

The feeling happens again, it’s like a fluttering in his belly, a small squirm or something that makes him squirm in place. Merle grumbles again, blinking awake to glare at him in the early morning light. “You quite done fidgeting?”

“Fucking uncomfortable Merle.” Pressing back against his brother he rolls onto his side, nuzzling beneath his chin a little and tugging the blanket higher. The feeling happens again and then there’s another beside it in return and he knows he’s not going to sleep anytime soon. Growling a little he places a hand to his bump, aggravated at whatever the hell this thing is and wondering if it’s going to be a new thing to get used to. Then he feels it, the flutter against his hand, making him gasp and sit up, Merle copying beside him in a panic.

“What? What’s wrong?” Because despite this whole situation being a topic they don’t talk about, Daryl knows Merle would still do anything he could to protect him from harm.

“Just…I don’t know.” It doesn’t feel wrong as such, it just feels weird. Pressing his hand back over his bump he feels another flutter, a tiny little movement beneath his palm and then another beside it. “Merle I think the kits are moving.” He mumbles, a part of him not wanting to share this with Merle if his brother didn’t want to talk about the fact he was carrying. A part of himself still feared Merle leaving, abandoning him again like he had when he was younger and leaving him to cope with something so terrifying a new by himself. Yes he had the pack still, but Merle had always been there for everything else and he wanted him here for this too.

For what it’s worth Merle doesn’t roll back over and go back to sleep this time, instead he remains beside him, looking over his brother as Daryl continues  feeling the flutters and tiny movements inside of himself. It’s a strange feeling and maybe if he hadn’t had his hands pressed to his bump he’d have thought they were hunger pains or something but as it was he could feel exactly where they were coming from. Daryl finds himself smiling a little, the first signs of actual life inside of himself making this feel so much more real and he doesn’t want to sleep anymore, he wants to share this with everyone.

He freezes when Merle reaches out to place a hand on his tummy, just beside his own and pressing gently against the flutterings there. A part of himself feels uneasy at having an alpha who wasn’t the kits’ sire touching him, but it’s Merle and if his brother wants to acknowledge this then he wasn’t going to turn him away. Glancing up from their hands it’s a relief to find Merle smiling a little, giving a small chuckle before moving to press their foreheads together and fuck it’s such a relief to have his brother here and supportive of him. “Better go and tell the pack.”

It’s the first time Merle’s referred to them as the pack instead of his pack, it’s a small thing to the others, but to him it’s a sign that Merle was settling here and beginning to accept that this was slowly becoming their pack together. His brother places a kiss to his forehead before patting at his bump, giving Daryl an extra push when he gets up to help him move the extra weight and Daryl can feel his brother watching him as he makes his way down from the perch.

The sun streams in from the windows above him and he wonders if he should wait until a more reasonable time to let them know, but right now he’s too excited to care if he pisses anyone off and the fluttering inside of himself makes him push into the cell eagerly. “Alpha?” Through the shadows he can see that Rick doesn’t sleep alone anymore.

They’ve pushed together the bunks to make a larger enough space for them all, Rick and Shane pressed against each other with Lori and Carl curled there too, all four of them clinging to each other and the small family pack they’d had before all of this. In a way he’s loathe to interrupt such a sweet scene, feeling a little out of place, but then the flutter happens again and he’s padding to Rick’s side, smiling lightly when his alpha blinks himself awake when he notices his scent.

Before he can ask what’s wrong Daryl takes his alpha’s hand, placing it on the bump and letting Rick feel the tiny flutters and twitches beneath. Smiling brightly Rick is fully awake in an instant, glancing up to Daryl for permission before placing another hand on the bump, giving a light laugh of excitement at the feeling of the litter moving around in there. “Wow.” Rick breathes out softly, shifting from the tangle of limbs on the bed and standing up to kiss Daryl softly, holding him close and purring into his ear.

Holding onto his alpha tightly Daryl buries himself closer, enjoying when Rick scents him, rubbing their faces together before kissing over his lips and cheeks. “I thought you should all know as soon as possible, hence the early wake up call.” He mumbles, loathe to wake the others if they needed more sleep right now but wanting to share the news with the world. It’s different to be excited over something he’d been so unsure of at first, but right now he’s pleased with his progress and he knows the pack would be the same. “Sorry if I disturbed you.”

“Not at all, I’m pleased you came to tell us.” Rick kisses him again before pulling back, turning to face the pile of bodies on the bed and moving closer to jab at his second’s side, barking out an order and startling the other man awake. “Shane! Get your lazy ass up, your kits want to show you their new trick.”

Daryl can’t help but smirk when Shane sits up, on alert for danger and scanning the cell for a problem before his eyes settle on Rick with a glare. “What you going on about now man?” He grumbles, rubbing at his eyes before Rick snatches one of his hands up, placing it beside his own on the bump and they both watch as Shane’s eyes widen at the sensation beneath his palm. “Holy shit.”

“Are the kits moving? I want to feel! Daryl said I could feel!” Of course Carl is awake, already climbing over his mother on the bed and reaching out eagerly to join his fathers’ hands on the bump, only glancing up to Daryl for a brief second for confirmation before setting it there. When Daryl laughs at Carl’s antics the kits seem to flutter in sync, making Carl grin brightly at the movement beneath his palm. “Mom the kits are moving!”

“So I heard.” And if Lori is tired and annoyed at being awoken she doesn’t show it, instead getting up and padding over, curling Daryl into a light hug and kissing at his cheek. “That’s great news Daryl.”

“Well they woke me up, figured they could wake someone else up too.” He shrugs, taking her hand to add to the bump as well. She may not be an alpha but she deserved to feel too, Lori had proven to not be jealous of his position or his carrying of a litter in fact she’d been nothing but a help when he had questions about it all. Her smile when she feels more flutters a twitches is proof of her joy.

The entire pack is excited by the progress he’s showing and though Merle simply rolls his eyes at everyone wanting to feel every little twitch, Daryl can tell he’s pleased too. Andrea can’t stop smiling, kissing all over his face and saying how proud she was of him for doing this and how exciting it all was. He flushes at the attention and focuses on eating his breakfast, letting the conversation about the progress happen around him whilst he just enjoys the flutters by himself.

When he feels Michonne’s eyes on him he tenses a little, not wanting to draw attention to himself as he places a hand on the bump. He knows she’s been nothing but a help to them all and everyone else had accepted her as one of their own but she was still a powerful alpha and the thought of her touching made him shiver and feel uneasy. The pack are all so happy he doesn’t want to ruin the mood, so he tries his best to smile politely to her and he’s grateful when she doesn’t request a touch of her own.

The pack disperses after breakfast, everyone taking on their duties for the day and leaving Daryl to follow Hershel to his cell for a check up. He doesn’t know why they have to keep doing this, as far as he’s concerned he’d feel if there was anything wrong, but Hershel is adamant and wants to keeps an eye on his first litter, explaining that the kits movements meant he was going through quickening and they were progressing on time. “This means they’ll be growing faster now, don’t be surprised if you get bigger faster.”

“How can I get any bigger?” He snorts, never liking that Hershel tends to run his fingers up under his shirt and over the actual skin stretched over his bump. There are stretch marks decorating his skin already, bright and uncomfortable as his body adjusts to it all. “I’m already huge enough as it is. Need more fucking clothes on our next run, didn’t happen to see any carrying clothes stores did you Maggie?”

The alpha shrugs with a sad smile, moving over to rub at his lower back and Daryl can’t help but sigh at how good that feels. Maggie may not be his alpha, but she’s strong and safe to be around, someone that he trusts to care for him and his litter. “Not lately, but I’ll make sure to keep an eye out for you.” He sighs a little at that, hating that he was running low on options available to him for clothing, honestly by the end of all this he was wondering if he’d just be walking about naked.

“What about a poncho?” Beth asks from where she’s sat on the bunk, moving closer to them as she explains. “That could work easily and there won’t be the worry of it not fitting since it just goes over your head and I can make sure it’s long enough. I could make you one if you like? It’s not hard to do.”

Daryl nods at the idea, such a thing would work and be easy to take one and off, he wouldn’t have to keep asking for help when it came to dressing himself if he had one of those. But still it was a lot to ask and he was already taking so much from the pack at the moment. “If you want? I mean I don’t want to be a pain in the ass.”

The young girl smiles brightly, shaking her head, letting her blonde hair wisp over her shoulders as she bounces a little in excitement. “It’s no trouble and I want to help Daryl, for the moment it feels like there’s nothing we can do except keep the baby clothes and diapers organised.” She shrugs, glancing down to the bump with a soft smile. “At least when the litter arrives we betas can help with the feeding for you.”

Hershel nods, pressing his fingers a little harder to the bump and Daryl can feel when one of the kits twitches in protest, fluttering inside of him and he feels the annoyance himself. “Which reminds me Daryl, you’ll have to tell me if you feel any change in your chest. As soon as you start producing milk so will the betas, we’ll have to keep an eye on everyone in case of infection.”

Flushing he keeps his head down, honestly he hadn’t thought about that part of all of this, right now he was focussed on getting the kits here, not the looking after of them when they were. “Hell I don’t wanna think about that.” He grumbles, tugging on the shirt to make sure it was covering himself properly before he stands up, wanting to get away from the awkward conversation and get some air. “I’m sure you’ll be able to tell when I’m cursing up a storm anyway.” Hershel gives a sigh and Daryl doesn’t care if he wants to poke and prod more, right now he needs some space.

None of them go to stop him when he leaves the cell, feeling the bump weigh him down with every step and he growls a little when his back starts aching again now Maggie wasn’t rubbing it. Huffing a little he heads down the cell block, poking his head in Dale’s cell and unable to stop the scent of annoyance from rolling off of him. “Hey old man, wanna come get some air with me?”

They both know he’s not asking he’s telling. Since the Woodbury incident Daryl didn’t get the chance to go many places alone anymore and though he’d protested at first he knows it’s just easier not to piss off his alphas and to take someone with him. Dale was his go to for walks around the place, the old man had a calming air about him and right now Daryl needs that. “All right son hold your horses and let me get my rifle.”

The old man moves slow as they walk but honestly it’s not bad since Daryl himself isn’t exactly as quick as he used to be due to the extra weight he was carrying. He enjoys walking with Dale, listening to the old beta’s stories of his life, taking the focus off of himself and just enjoying the sunlight on the back of their necks. Running his fingers through his hair Daryl can appreciate the quiet of the world for a moment when he’s with Dale, just existing and not having to think too hard or worry.

“You know my Irma and I tried for a kit once.”

Glancing up to the older man he can see the smile in his eyes when he speaks of her and he’s eager to let that look continue. “Irma was an alpha?”

“The most beautiful alpha you’ve ever seen.” Dale laughs, and though there’s the pain of losing a loved one, there’s still the brightness of the memories. “The way she walked, heck it made you want to drop to your knees right there and worship her, give her everything you had just so she would look at you once with those eyes. She was a fox.”

Daryl can’t help but smirk at that, the thought of Dale being so caught up with a female alpha was sweet, and he knows from his voice that he must have adored Irma completely and utterly. “A fox huh?”

“Oh yes and a dangerous one at that.” Dale continues, rifle on his shoulder and enjoying their walk through the courtyard, ignoring the snarls of the walkers around them. “We courted for a while, and when we were ready to settle down we tried for a kit of our own. For whatever reason it didn’t take, this was before all the tests and IVF of course, we didn’t know if it was me or her that didn’t work properly, but I remember telling her that she was an alpha, she should find another beta and give it a try as was in her instinct. You know what she said to me?”

Shaking his head when Dale looks at him Daryl finds himself smiling at having such an intimate story shared with him. “Fuck instinct.” He does smirk at the look on Dale’s face when he says it and finds himself glad that though Irma had passed on, at least it had been before all of this had happened. “I damned near fainted right there and then. She said if she couldn’t have a kit with me then she didn’t want one with anybody, even if it was her instinct. Kits aren’t something to be used to increase a pack’s numbers, they’re something to be treasured and for Irma she’d rather have none at all then have one with someone that didn’t mean anything.”

Daryl nods in understanding, moving to chew at his nail for a moment before turning to Dale once more. “There meant to be a lesson or moral or something in there old man?”

Dale chuckles, moving to remove his hat and rub over his head before placing it back, tugging the brim to cover his eyes from the sunlight. “You know you’d think there would be wouldn’t you?” Dale chuckles, leaning on their man made fence that will be for the pig pen eventually and letting Daryl catch his breath from their walk. “All I know is it’s nice to have the chance to be something to some kits, even if they’re not mine.”

Daryl snorts a little at that, holding a hand to the bump whilst he watches the clouds before turning back to Dale. “They’re yours.” He replies quietly with a shrug. “Biology don’t mean shit anyways, they’re a part of the pack and so are you, makes them as much yours as anyone else’s.”

He doesn’t mean for it to be sweet or anything but that’s how Dale takes it if his look is anything to go by. The old man places a hand to his lower back, gentle and calming with a matching smile, Daryl feels the kits twitch beneath his palm and allows Dale to place his own hand to feel the little movements. He’s come to find the pack easier to handle now he’s feeling more secure in himself and though there are still moments he wants to have a fight and act all alpha, sometimes it felt nicer to just give in and be himself. “That’s incredible.” Dale smiles to him, pressing gently. “So much li-“

The gunshot rings out, deafening to Daryl’s ears, the kits inside of him jolt at the loud noise and the wet splatter of Dale’s blood stains his shirt over the bump.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Look at you lucky sods getting two chapters today before I head off to work. I'm far too addicted to this fic and can't wait to let you all share it with me.


	9. Burden

There’s a lot of noise around him, deafening and mixed with yells of his names and screams but despite hearing the noise he can’t comprehend any of it at the moment. Falling to the ground he can’t take his eyes off Dale, the old beta stares up at him with blank eyes and in a contrast to the squirming in his abdomen there’s no life in them at all. His hat has fallen off and for some reason; Daryl thinks that’s important.

He’s not aware that he’s pressed against the fence tightly, clinging to himself as much as he can, panting harshly and trying to understand what the hell had just happened. Dale was dead. Dale was dead and his blood was all over Daryl’s shirt and the bump, the kits wee fluttering about quickly inside of him, he feels like he can’t breathe and everything around him is too loud and too much. Covering his ears he stays curled up as much as he can, hunched over himself and staying as hidden as possible as bullets rain overhead, intermingled with shouts and yells.

The blood is wet on his skin, soaking through the fabric of his clothing and staining over his body, he feels sick, wanting to wipe it away but not wanting to remove his hands from his ears and hear everything properly. Right now he’s nothing more than a scared omega, terrified for himself and his kits and just wanting everything to stop and go back to how it all was a few moments ago. The world around him is vibrating with sound, gunfire and shouts, dangerous and frightening until he’s sure he’s hyperventilating.

“Daryl!”

Someone’s here but he can’t look up, he can’t stop seeing Dale on the floor, staring at him with lifeless eyes and all Daryl can wonder is what went wrong? Everything had been going so well, the kits were moving, he’d told the pack and it had all been perfect and exciting and now…now it was all shattered before him. Hands cup his face, dragging his gaze up to meet deep brown eyes full of life and strength, the alpha’s scent surrounding him and suddenly Daryl is awake and clinging to Michonne desperately even if he’d been wary before.

“Daryl listen to me, you need to breathe.” Her voice is firm, pure demanding alpha and his body immediately responds, taking in gasping breaths of air until he can hear and see properly, aware of their situation and the danger they’re in. “Listen omega, I’m going to lay down cover fire and you’re going to run back to the cell block, understood?”

She’s strong, still holding his face and watching his eyes, grabbing at the rifle by Dale’s body and fuck his nerves are making him nod, all instincts kicking in to just obey the alpha during times of danger. Michonne presses closer, moving to rest their foreheads together for a brief moment, almost as if she’s trying to transfer some of her strength to him, to get him through this and save him and his kits. He’s grateful, really he is and through the scent of terror and blood he can pick up the mix of his alpha’s worry by the cell block.

Nodding he swallows back any panic, trying to keep focussed on the task at hand and ignore that he’s not exactly the best at running anymore. He had to make it and he would make it, he’d get inside where it was safe and do what needed to be done to protect himself and his litter. Michonne returns the nod, one of understanding and then there’s no more comfort, just a flare of dread when she raises the rifle and begins firing towards the enemy beyond the fences.

Every step of his foot on the ground seems to take forever and fuck he wishes he was as fast as he used to be before all of this, but he needs to make it and he’s not going to stop for anything. Grabbing for the inner fences he knows he doesn’t have time to catch his breath, he’d have to ignore the stitch in his side and keep moving forward.

“Stop! Don’t shoot the omega!” Comes a yell from somewhere and he can’t help but look back, seeing a one eyed alpha leering in his direction with hunger in his eye and clinging to the fence with no fear of the bullets. Ignoring the fear for his litter he runs for the building, ducking behind a wall away from the line of fire and feeling the flutters inside of himself get stronger. His sides are burning, his legs are aching and he feels sick, but he can’t stop, everything is telling him to get as far away from that alpha as possible.

Smelling the air he knows his alphas are coming for him, and he staggers in their direction, whining lightly in relief when Rick and Shane catch him by the arms, pressing their faces to his neck to reassure him. Bullets still echo around them, and he’s scared for his pack, his alpha’s are scared too and there’s no more frightening scent in the world. “Give me a gun.” Holding out a trembling hand he’s not going to go down without a fight, ready to stand up for himself and his pack.

Rick growls low in his throat, smacking his hand away before pushing him towards Carl. “No. Get inside and get somewhere safe, don’t let anyone near unless it’s one of us.” Daryl goes to protest, fuck instincts. That’s what Dale had said and right now was a time to do that, a time for him to take a stand and fire a fucking bullet into that bastard alpha’s other eye.

“But I can-“

“Daryl!” Shane is snarling, rounding on him as Rick dives back into the gunfire, not bothering to continue the arguments since he’s already given his order as an alpha. Strong hands grip at his arms, tight and painful, digging into his flesh as he tries to drive this point home. “I swore to keep you and our litter safe, now get inside and get safe. Now omega!” And then Shane is gone, following Rick, the two of them firing back, defending their territory and leaving him feeling lost and useless in the chaos.

Smaller fingers curl around his own, tugging gently but with an urgency that makes Daryl’s stomach churn. “Daryl please.” Carl doesn’t demand him around or call him by his status like his fathers, instead he asks and Daryl knows he can’t deny the kid right now. “We need to go somewhere safe.” His feet feel numb as he follows Carl inside, letting the fledgling tug him along, clearing hallways and darting in and out of the shadows to a familiar landing, one that they’d used before.

The laundry closet is small and unassuming, not somewhere anyone would look for him and somewhere Carl could defend easily enough. Carl helps him inside, locking the door behind himself, leaving the light off and moving a shelving unit to bar the door. They’re both panting at the exertion, Carl from shifting something so heavy and Daryl from the difficulty of running in his condition, both of them breath heavily, slumping to the ground beneath the shelf they’d been under last time and praying for their pack.

Carl keeps his gun out, trained on the doorway, cocked and ready with Daryl trembling beside him, curled into the corner, a hand pressed to the bump and feeling the litter fluttering inside of him, scared as he was and stressed from it all. There’s a mix of emotions going through him right now and he’s not sure which one to feel first, they all mix together into a sob, making him tremble and clutching himself a little tighter in the darkness.

This was his entire fault. He’d gone and gotten himself fucking pregnant, leaving him unable to defend himself. If he’d only managed to find more suppressants in the first place, he’d have been able to ignore his heats, leave the pack and not put them in this much danger. His brother was out there, defending him because he was incapable of doing it for himself, Carl’s parents were out there risking their lives because of him. It was disgusting; he was so fucking pathetic to be like this, so useless at being able to do anything right now.

T-Dog and now Dale were dead because of him. His breath catches shakily as he glances down to his shirt, able to see the dark patches of blood spattered over him in the shadows, blood staining him all over, proof that the only thing he’d managed to bring to the pack was death and danger. Squeezing his eyes shut he clenches his teeth as the sobs wrack his body, fingers digging into his palms as he tries to silence himself through his grief.

Daryl cries for T-Dog, he cries for Dale, he cries for his brother, he cries for the pack out there risking their lives for him, he cries for Carl having to leave his parents out there to fight because of him. He cries for years of pretending to be something proving to be useless as his position in the world is made clearer and clearer with every bullet that collides with the prison walls. He’s an omega and that means he’s nothing more than a defenceless risk that brought pain to anyone who tried to get near to him.

The fluttering inside of himself speeds up and he knows the kits are reacting to his upset and stress but he can’t help it. Maybe it would be better if he miscarried. Then he could give himself up to Woodbury and the Governor, protect his pack and keep them safe. He knew his pack would never agree, Merle would fight to the death to keep him safe and his alphas would risk everything for him and the kits. It would be useless though, he knew there would never be an end to this battle for him.

If it wasn’t Woodbury it would be another pack, or some other rogue alphas that would want him. The world was different now, even before the walkers there had been omega kidnappings, illegal omega breeding rings and it could only have gotten worse since then. Who knew what the people left in this world were capable of now? He remembers Rick telling him they didn’t kill the living. It makes him sob at how far they’ve fallen.

The sound of bullets carries on and each second that passes makes him cry a little more, feeling every part of self loathing he’d ever felt rear its ugly head inside of himself, leaving him wishing none of this had happened at all. If he’d been an alpha this would all have been different and they’d be safe, there would be no battle or people sacrificing themselves for him. Glancing up through his tears he can see Carl’s gun still pointed at the door and finds himself debating the only other option left.

One bullet and no one wins the omega at all.

As if they can hear his thoughts, the kits squirm inside of him again, a small flutter against his insides and he sobs anew, instincts telling him to protect his young whilst the safety of the pack called for him to sacrifice them all. He’d never asked for any of this and yet here he was, trying to make the hardest choice anyone could ever make and unable to make a decision. Hiccupping on the tears he slumps a little further into their sanctuary, pressed against the walls and wishing there was some other way to make this all stop, to just have everything go back to before when it was just he and Merle and nobody else to be scared for.

Carl shifts beside him, setting down the gun to the floor and turning to him. The guilt rips through him anew when he sees the tears in Carl’s eyes, the kid is just as worried as he was and here he was being so selfish as to do this to him. “I…I should go out there.” He stumbles over the words, removing his hand from the bump, unable to feel the flutters of life right now in case they changed his mind. “Stop this before anyone else gets…” killed, “hurt.”

He can barely breath when Carl wraps his arms around his neck, kneeling before him and leaning over him, a shield against the world and protecting him silently. Daryl knows he should cut himself loose, stop this adoration he feels for any member of the pack and pretend it never happened, but he clings to the fledgling, sobbing into his shoulder and not knowing what to do. His position meant he’d never been great at making decisions, omegas had their choices made for them usually, and he’d had to learn how to stand on his own two feet.

“I need to go Carl, I’ve got to stop this, the pack’s going to get hurt, please, I need to do this for the pack.” He knows he’s babbling, trying to explain himself and comfort Carl, to let him know that the kid’s life could go on with his parents and the pack, they could all be safe and heck maybe without the litter the betas could all breed instead. This was the choice that made the most amount of sense and hurt the least amount of people. “Please Carl, if I do this it’s only me that gets hurt.”

“You and the kits.” The kid’s lips is trembling and Daryl tries to make him understand, holding him steady and not caring that he’s shaking, more terrified than he has been his entire life.

Shaking his head he tries to be strong, tries to get Carl to see things from his point of view. “They’re nothing yet.” Because they’re still just something inside of him, not people, not kits, not something worth losing the pack over.

“Yes they are! They’re something!” Carl is sobbing outright now, clinging to him like his father did, pressing their foreheads together and watching him closely. “They’re yours Daryl, and they’re ours and you don’t get to choose what happens to them, that’s not fair!” The kid is still just a kid, a fledgling still learning and not able to understand the more difficult point of the world they’re living in.

Upset becomes mixed with anger when the kid doesn’t get it, he just can’t see how this makes the most sense out of all the options. “This isn’t fair Carl!” He gestures to the prison around them and the sound of bullets ricocheting. “Putting everyone in danger because of me! Because I had to go and get pregnant and now everyone might die because of me! It has to stop! If I die then so be it, it’s only one death.” He’s panting, tears still falling from his face and mixing with the blood staining his clothes.

The fledgling shoves at him, frustrated as well and Daryl hates that he’s the reason for making him feel like this. “No it’s not! It’s more! They’re alive and moving Daryl, they’re everything the pack had ever wanted and you can’t do this, I won’t let you.” He goes to touch the bump and Daryl jerks back, shoving his hands away and not wanting to know the discomfort in his abdomen is because of them being alive and real.

“Carl you don’t understand…”

“No, omega! I said no! You’re staying here with me!” And Daryl can only gasp when Carl moves to rub their faces together, scenting him deeply and though his scent is still fledgling, it’s also alpha and between this claiming and the demands, he knows he’s not going to be able to disobey. It was a dirty tactic, to use his position like this, but it’s more than that. Carl wanted him here and alive, he wanted him safe, he wanted his kits to be protected and was trying his hardest to keep him safe in the only way he knew how.

It’s the most basic thing between them, a connection that had been formed and linked them properly, because though he knew as Rick and Shane’s heir, Carl would eventually be his alpha when he came of age, this was the first step in that direction. Choking on more tears he clings to the little alpha, ducking his head in submission and hating how loved he feels; it just makes everything so much harder.

They remain pressed together, clinging to each other in the darkness, crying themselves through the upset and stress of the situation and getting through it together. Daryl knows Carl is still to young to claim him in the ways of the other alphas, and there’s no worry of the kid doing more than scenting him right now so he just lets it happen, rubbing back and eagerly taking his little alpha’s scent in. There’s strength from fear, the urge to protect and when Carl places his hand on the bump, Daryl knows he means for it to extend to the litter too.

The closet is their little haven, a secluded spot for them to just work through the moment, huddling together in the dry warmth and both resting against each other when the silence starts around them. The battle has ended and the dread in the pit of his stomach begins rolling again. One of Carl’s hands is in his; squeezing his fingers lightly whilst the other holds his gun, ready to take down as many enemies as he could to save Daryl if it came to that.

Doors close down the hallway, footsteps come closer towards their hiding place and Carl tenses, shifting a little to be sitting in front of Daryl, gun still aimed on the door. He’s not going to be much help without a weapon, but he places a palm on Carl’s shoulder anyway, trying to be there for the kid as much as his little alpha was for him. There’s a knock at the door, slow and steady as Carl cocks his weapon.

“It’s all right. It’s us, everything’s okay.”

Daryl doesn’t know who moves quicker, he or Carl to shove aside the shelving unit and unlock the door, yanking it open and the pair of them forcing their way through to bury themselves in Rick and Shane’s arms. They’re both held tightly, making it hard to breathe but he doesn’t care because right now he needs this and he doesn’t care if he’s whining and keening like a pathetic omega because right now he felt like one. He knows his alphas can smell Carl’s scent on him when they move to mark him themselves, each of them purring lightly and mixing all the scents together, making him smell of family, love and safety despite all his fears.

They make their way back to the main cellblock together, taking it at the slow pace of Daryl’s stagger and letting the two of them integrate back into the pack. Carl immediately darts over to his mother, but before Daryl can check if anyone else is missing Merle is on him, growling loudly and protectively before scenting him, pressing a kiss to his forehead and just holding his brother as he tries to stop himself from trembling. “Thought I almost lost you.” Merle’s voice is low, like a rumbling that Daryl more feels than hears from where he’s pressed against his chest.

The rest of the pack move closer to bring them all in, reassuring each other of their safety and success in defending most of the prison. Andrea kisses him softly, her delicate hands over the bump and he can see just how scared she was over the whole thing. Carol and Lori cling together, pressing against his side before Glenn and Maggie follow suit, Beth just wraps him into a tight hug and babbles about how scared she was.

Michonne doesn’t get as close as she had been outside, instead she lingers back, clearly unsure if he’d only allowed it due to the situation. Moving closer himself he leans against her, letting their heads touch a little in thanks and she gives a small smile and nod, one of understanding at his acceptance.

He still feels hollow over their missing members, both of them dead because of him. He’s the problem in this group and he can’t stop thinking about his options right now. When Hershel moves over to examine him he feels numb to the presses against his bump, feeling the little flutters again but not feeling as excited by them as before. They were the problem along with himself and he needed to fix this.

“Well they seem all right. A little shaken up from the stress of it all but there’s still movements, would you like to hear their heartbeats?” Daryl doesn’t know where he’d gotten it from, but Hershel has a stethoscope pressed to the bump, the buds in his ears and a small smile on his face at what he’s hearing. Something inside of himself growls to be able to hear his kits, to want to have the knowledge of their heart’s beating strong and showing their lives. But fuck instinct, it would only make what he had to do even harder.

Shaking his head he gently pushes the stethoscope away, seeing the way the dried blood is beginning to flake across his shirt. Everything that happened suddenly flares up again and he feels sick, needing to get this off of him and try to make things better. “Need a shower.” He mumbles, ignoring Hershel’s questions and moving back away from the back, wanting to be alone and stop himself from caring so much about them all.

If he was going to save them he needed to distance himself from them all and go back to how things were before all of this, when all he cared about were himself and Merle. The showers are barely warm but he doesn’t care, standing beneath the spray and watching the red trickle down the drain with the water. The fabric of his clothes stick to his skin, clammy and close, and he’s suddenly desperate to get them off and to just take all the evidence away.

Yanking at the shirt he finds himself panting in upset when it clings to him, catching on his arms and making the movements harder, smearing wet blood over his skin and tainting him once more. Showing the world what he’d done. The tears have started again and he blames the hormones, tugging at the shirt until it rips and snarling in anger when half of it is still caught around his body.

The scent of his alpha is suddenly in the room with him and he flinches, curling in towards the wall and not wanting to be seen like this. Usually he’d try to hide his back, but right now between the scars and the bump, he didn’t know which he wanted to hide more. Rick pads closer, stripping easily, not caring of showing off his body and his own scars, pock marks from bullets white against his chest and shoulder. Of course his alpha isn’t ashamed, he had no reason to be, his biology meant he made muscle easier and fuck between the scent and sight Daryl knew he was giving in.

“Come here.”

There’s no call of his status now, because he may be an omega, but he’s Daryl right now and that makes his chest tighten a little more. Padding closer to Rick he doesn’t resist when his alpha reaches up to remove the sodden clothing, tossing it to the side and rubbing his hands over the pink tinged skin beneath. He hates every splatter and wishes Rick would dig his nails in, tear the blood stained flesh off of his body and make everything just go away. Dale is dead and it’s all because of him.

The tears slip down the drain with the blood as Rick washes him, lathering soap over his body and lingering over the bump in a way that suddenly feels too personal, as if Rick is trying to influence his decision without even knowing what it was. Snarling a little he shoves the alpha away, baring his teeth and growling, trying to ignore the want to submit when Rick huffs in anger and steps back into his space. It’s not really a power play because what power did he have over anything nowadays? He was simply a pawn, a prize of their war to be used by the winning pack.

“You angry at me for sending you away?” Rick asks, inching closer, bursting the bubble of Daryl’s personal space and growling lightly, not threatening, but testing the waters.

Daryl snarls again, bracing himself for a fight and squaring his shoulders, ignoring the way his swollen stomach makes it hard to keep his balance. “Your kits are fine, I don’t need you here.” The water continues falling over them, the spray barely warm at all and making Daryl’s hair fall into his eyes where it plasters to his forehead.

Rick doesn’t laugh, but he has an incredulous look on his face as he ignores the warning, moving to place a hand on the wall either side of Daryl, keeping him pinned there as he speaks, slow and dangerous. “You think I’m here for the kits?”

He wants to duck his head and whine, to give in and roll over, go belly up for his alpha and take whatever punishment was coming his way to pay for the loss of a packmate. “’s why you sent me away isn’t it? Couldn’t have your precious young getting hurt.” Daryl shrugs, wanting to seem as if this wasn’t affecting him at all and that having Rick be like this was annoying and nothing else.

His alpha tenses a little, ducking his head to get their eyes to meet, growling low in his throat before moving to gently lick over Daryl’s neck, nipping at the soft skin there before moving to purr in his ear. “Couldn’t have you getting hurt.” Rick murmurs, pressing their bodies together, a barrier between Daryl and the rest of the world and every instinct inside of Daryl was singing at the position. “Nobody touches my omega, nobody gets to fire at you and live.”

It shouldn’t be so soothing to hear that from Rick, but Daryl finds his eyes closing a little when his alpha moves to bite at his neck, first slow bites over his pulse point, before moving to nip playfully. When his teeth bite down hard on Daryl’s neck he gasps at the feeling, his body reacting instantly to being claimed in such a way and letting out a high pitched whine of need. “Alpha…” He doesn’t know what he wants anymore and all the fighting and stress of the day is making it too hard to fight what he wants anymore.

“Your alpha.” Rick confirms, licking one long stripe over the bite mark on his neck, and when his hands move to rub over Daryl’s body he finds himself shivering against his alpha. “I am yours and you are mine, mine to protect, mine to love and mine to have. This isn’t about the kits, this is about you Daryl.” Fingers stroke over his body, calming and claiming, scenting him all over beneath the spray of the water and Daryl can’t help himself but arch into the touch, uncaring of Rick seeing all of him.

When Rick moves to kiss him properly his mouth falls open obediently, their tongues clashing in a mini battle before he relents, letting Rick taste him, own him both inside and out. He’s not even in heat and he wants this, it’s a mix of instinct and his own want that makes him turn to brace himself against the shower wall, panting and whining in excitement already.

Rick growls in approval, still running his hands over Daryl’s body, stroking over every inch of him and moving to lap at the back of his neck. Daryl expects this to be rough like before, with him howling and loving every rough thrust, and he squirms when Rick moves to kiss lightly over his shoulders. “Mine.” His alpha growls again, his tongue moving to trace over a scar, licking over it calmly before placing a harsh bite there, claiming over the mark for himself.

Daryl gasps at the feeling, arching into the touch and able to feel himself getting wetter at the feeling even if he wasn’t in heat. Another scar gets the same treatment, then another and another and he’s sure Rick isn’t missing a single one, biting and claiming over them all, taking away the knowledge of what made them and replacing them with his alpha’s claim. Whining again he tries to press back for more but Rick simply holds him steady, moving to sink to his knees behind him and Daryl doesn’t know if he can take much more of this teasing. “Alpha…”

There’s a small chuckle from behind him and he glances over his shoulder with a slight growl, finding Rick looking up to him with a smirk, cocky and knowing exactly what he’s doing to him. “Mine.” Rick mutters again and when his tongue moves lower to swipe over his entrance and taste the wetness there, Daryl is keening loudly to the world in want. Pressing harder against the shower wall he tries to keep himself stable, between the slippery surface of the tiles and the extra weight on him it’s difficult but he doesn’t want Rick to stop what he’s doing. “Mine.” His alpha mumbles between licks, his hands moving to hold his hips in place as he tastes him completely.

Whining loudly Daryl groans at the feeling, his body reacting to the feelings and the words, making him mewl and want to submit to his alpha. When Rick slowly moves back to his feet behind him he’s practically whimpering, pushing back for more and bracing himself, ready and desperate for him. “Please alpha, I need you.”

Rick presses against his back, his cock hard and pressed against him, making Daryl moan in want and try to urge him to shift into place. His alpha’s hands move over him again, stroking over his chest, his hips, down across the bump before wrapping around his cock, stroking him lightly with a purr. “Mine.” Rick gives a growl before pushing inside of him with a groan.

He gasps at the feeling, it’s been so long since the last time, the time he got pregnant with their kits, and he’d forgotten just how good it felt. A part of him thought it was only the heat that made it good, that he’d been heat high and loving being fucked by his alpha. But it seems maybe it’s just always good and he’d been stupid enough not to beg his alpha’s for more whenever they had the chance. Panting heavily he pushes back, feeling Rick’s free hand grip his hip as they begin moving together.

It’s as good as he remembers, deep and perfect inside of him, tight and making him groan at being filled so completely. Rick moves to bite at his neck again, licking over the claiming bite again and again, making it tingle and causing Daryl to squirm at the sensations. His alpha is holding him, keeping him safe and claiming him in the most intimate way possible, rubbing at his cock and fucking him deeply, hitting whatever it was inside of him that felt so good. Mewling a little he presses back for more, ashamed that he wasn’t going to be able to last very long right now.

But it seems that Rick isn’t here for a long drawn out fuck, this is about more than sex and when his alpha bites at him again with a mumbled “Mine” into his shoulder, Daryl understands what he wants. Letting his head fall forward he pants his way through each thrust, feeling his toes curl against the tiles and groaning deeply, pressing back, pushing forward and feeling perfect all over.

“Yours.” He mumbles, a flush on his cheeks at the feeling the word brings over him, every nerve singing at the feeling of conformation and his body arches into Rick’s touch again. “Yours alpha.” Daryl whimpers when Rick’s hand speeds up on his cock, each thrust hits that spot inside of him, deep and perfect, making him moan and whine in pleasure.

Rick moves faster, gripping his hip and thrusting in deep, moaning against the back of his neck and making Daryl feel so loved and adored. “Mine.” Rick snarls loudly, and when his alpha bites down on that claiming bite on his neck again he’s lost to it all, coming hard over Rick’s fingers and arching back onto him. His alpha holds him, strokes him through each jerk of his cock and continues fucking him, pressing in deep with a few short thrusts before groaning himself, coming inside of him and Daryl can feel each pulse and swell of his cock.

Panting heavily Daryl leans against the shower wall, trying to catch his breath as his body trembles through the aftershocks. His legs feel like jelly and he whines a little to Rick, wanting his alpha to fix the feeling for him, leaning back when Rick slowly eases them down to kneel on the floor beneath the spray. The water washes away the evidence of their fuck, but the knot keep them close, Daryl practically in Rick’s lap as his alpha nuzzles at his neck. Sighing lightly he rests there against Rick for a moment, enjoying the kisses and licks to his neck, and the small bites of ownership.

When Rick’s hand moves to press over the bump Daryl stiffens a little, feeling the small flutters again and glancing down to really pay attention to the life growing inside of him. The kits were as much everyone else’s as his own, and everyone had done so much to keep them safe, who was he do decide their fate so easily? Biting on his lip he leans a little heavier back against Rick, feeling the knot inside of him and not minding when it twinges a little. “Mine?” Rick asks this time and Daryl places his hand alongside his alpha’s feeling the litter squirm in unison.

“Yours alpha.”

Their fate wasn’t his choice to make alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hope you guys are enjoying, comments and feedback is appreciated :3


	10. Plans

Daryl doesn’t go outside much anymore. Aside from Dale’s funeral he hasn’t set a foot out the door, preferring to remain inside and have the walls of the cell block between himself and the outside world. There seems to have been a consensus between the pack that he shouldn’t be left alone anymore and though he wants to protect he also knows that it’s for his own good. Each day that goes by means the kits are growing bigger and stronger, it’s getting harder for him to move very far anyway and everyone is still on edge from the attack.

They keep watch at all hours, taking it in shifts and reporting any sign of movement on the boundaries of their territory. It’s even worse waiting for the unknown, and when the weeks pass and there’s been nothing more than walkers gnashing at the fence Daryl finds himself just wishing they knew what the hell to expect from this Governor alpha.

He knows the pack are trying to keep him calm about everything, they don’t discuss the plans for the prison’s defence with him even when he asks about it and though he wants to keep his litter as safe as possible he also wants to help as much as he can. Whenever he tries to offer to go on watch he’s refused, instead told to remain inside and get some rest. It’s getting the to point that he’s sick of fucking resting and though he aches all over sometimes he still wants to help if only to prove that he can.

Week twenty dawns with no sign of anyone from Woodbury and Daryl pissed off and feeling useless. He doesn’t care that he’s meant to be taking it easy right now, instead he’s sitting on the perch, dangling his feet over the edge with the ever growing bump pressed against the railings as he takes aim. Glenn is watching him today, babysitter the pack’s omega and though the kid is strong in his own right, Daryl knows how to get his own way with the kid.

Firing another bolt at the wall he smirks when it lodges itself in the sign, dotting the ‘I’ perfectly just as he’d wanted. Sure he couldn’t go out hunting with his brother, but he wasn’t going to stop using his bow just because of his condition. “Reload.” Passing over the bow to Glenn he ignores the sigh and the way he rolls his eyes, sure this probably wasn’t the kid’s idea of a good time, but tough shit it wasn’t like he could reload it himself anymore.

“You know we could be doing anything else right now?” Glenn notches another bolt before heaving the string back into place, making sure the weapon was ready before handing it carefully back to Daryl. “What did that sign ever do to you anyway?”

“Want me to use a moving target instead?” He asks, grumpy and frustrated with the way things were at the moment, the discomfort of growing larger and the insecurity of what Woodbury were doing making his patience thinner than usual. “Get down there and we’ll see if the kits kicking at my bladder has any affect on my aim.” He nudges at Glenn’s side and points to the common area below, pointing with his bow as if following a moving target.

For what it’s worth Glenn just sighs, running his hands through his hair and sitting back a little, used to Daryl’s mood swings. “God you’re a dick, just take it out on the sign.” He points back to the plastic square Daryl’s been aiming at and gives a little cheer of approval when another bolt splits the plastic easily.

They remain that way for a while, Daryl shooting, Glenn watching and before long whatever mood was bothering him subsides a little. The kits seem to be asleep for the moment so at least they weren’t driving him crazy and kicking at his ribs right now. “Can’t help it, the kits keep pissing me off, all they do is kick me or each other.” He explains and though he knows everyone knows not to take it personally when he snaps at them, he still feels the need to apologise. It wasn’t like it was their fault and all of them were trying to help him as much as possible.

“Can you blame them?” Glenn asks, the beta gesturing to his swollen belly. Daryl hates how he looks right now, his belly button was no an outie, his back ached all the time and it just seemed to be getting worse every day. “I mean it’s got to be getting pretty cramped in there for all of them.”

Daryl nods and places a hand on the bump, feeling the tiny jolts of one of the kits getting hiccups but not waking. Thankfully they’d managed to all get into a rhythm together and slept at the same time for an hour or so, giving him some peace for the moment. “How much more space can they want?” He sighs, full aware of the stretch marks decorating his skin and how the poncho Beth had made him was pretty much the only clothing that fit anymore. “I mean I’m fucking huge already, isn’t that enough for them? They make me need to pee all the time, I don’t fit in any clothes, I switch between wanting to eat everything that moves and feeling sick, and my chest fucking hurts.”

“Well so does mine thanks to you and your hormones.” Glenn snorts, moving to rub over his chest as Daryl does the same, hating the feeling of his nipples swollen as his body begins producing the milk the kits need.

His patience snaps again and he’s snapping back at Glenn, growling in the back of his throat as he fires another arrow into the wall. “Wow Glenn that must be so hard for you, having to cope with a sore chest. I mean Christ I don’t think I could think about anything that would be more uncomfortable than that.” He snarls sarcastically, feeling every ache and sore spot in his body twinge in agreement with him.

Glenn does look a little abashed at that, raising a hand to try and calm him down and smiling easily. “All right all right, I know you win most uncomfortable award. Was just saying.” And like that they’re back to normal again, Daryl finding comfort in just having a friend, someone who wasn’t an alpha and knew about as much about babies as he did. Sometimes it was nice to just feel lost alongside someone else and not have the urge to constantly ask questions or hope to not appear stupid. He knew Hershel, Lori and Carol were only trying to help, but every time they explained something to him he felt like a complete idiot for not knowing about it before.

“I know, the kits just make it easier to get riled up.” It’s just common knowledge but he still wants to explain. Everyone’s been trying so hard for him lately and all he ever does is complain and growl at them all for it. Sometimes he wants to stay buried in an alpha’s scent forever and then the next minute he wants to be left alone for a while. Everything’s uncomfortable and annoying right now and a huge part of him wants this to all be over. “Pisses me off I can’t do anything. Rick won’t even let me take watch he’s so paranoid.”

“Can you blame him after what happened last time?” Glenn asks and though he doesn’t want to remember that time he’d been up there with Carl and unable to concentrate due to the kits making him need the bathroom constantly. In the end he’d had to give up and get Andrea to cover him.

“Just wish I could help in someway.” He shrugs, leaning on the bars of the railing and picking at the flaking paint. “This whole waiting part is the worst, I just want there to be a fight between us and Woodbury and have it all be over you know?” Because his life is stressful enough as it is right now and he doesn’t need the threat of Woodbury hanging over them all. Between the worry for the pack and the safety of his kits, he’s unsure he could take much more of this stress.

Beside him Glenn runs his fingers through his hair before placing a hand on Daryl’s knee, supportive but not pressing too hard when he could snap at any moment. “Their pack is much bigger than ours Daryl, they’d kill us all and take you for themselves. You heard your brother, they have weapons, military trucks, ammo, and more experience between them than we do. We’ve been lucky so far, but luck only lasts so long.”

He nods and leans his chin on the bars, watching the world beneath them with a sigh, knowing Glenn was right and that there wasn’t going to be a quick end to all of this. Still he could be hopeful if he wanted to. “It’s been four weeks, maybe they’ve forgotten about us?” Turning to Glenn hopefully he gets a small smile in return, the beta leaning closer to press their heads together and give him some comfort.

“More likely they’ve been biding their time and making a plan. I don’t think this Governor is going to forget about you anytime soon.” And that’s the truth of it all.

Whining a little he leans his head on Glenn’s shoulder, sighing a little when the beta begins rubbing over his aching lower back. “I know. It fucking sucks. It was bad enough being an omega before all of this, but now there’s even less of us because no one ever taught them how to protect themselves. Least Merle made sure I could handle myself.”

As soon as the world had started going to shit the alphas had tried their best to protect their own, but the omegas were defenceless, too used to being dependant on others and when their alphas went down, it left them vulnerable. He knows he’d only made it so far because of Merle and his own stubborn nature, but now he was coming to terms with being an omega, it hurt to know there weren’t many of them left.

Omegas had only made up 5% of the population before the walkers had come along and now for all he knew he could be the only omega left in Georgia. It had been a lonely existence beforehand but now it was fucking terrifying to be so singled out. Especially with asshole alphas like the Governor on their doorstep. Pressing a hand to the bump he prays that none of the kits would turn out to be omegas, he’d never want them to feel like he did sometimes. Because as amazing as it felt to be cared for and protected by his alphas, he knew they had the chance for a safer life if they weren’t omegas like him.

Glenn continues stroking over his back, soothing and easing the aches that had taken up residence there and refused to leave. It’s peaceful for a moment between them, just enjoying the silence until it’s interrupted by Andrea storming in through the cell block, dragging someone neither of them knew behind her. She’s snarling loudly, shoving the stranger against the table, standing over him and getting in his face. Immediately Glenn is pressed closer to Daryl, ready to protect him if need be.

“Found this spy at our gates.” Andrea snarls to them, grabbing up some rope and tying the stranger’s hands behind his back. “He stinks of Woodbury and the Governor.” And that’s enough to put them both on edge, Daryl narrowing his eyes at the man and shoving his crossbow back into Glenn’s arms.

“Reload.”

“Daryl…” Glenn protests pushing the crossbow away but still placing a hand on his knife, ready to attack if he needed to, despite the man not looking like much of a threat.

“I’m not a spy, a spy tries to be sneaky, I walked right up to the gates and called to be allowed in.” The stranger points out, not struggling against his bindings and instead sitting rather demurely at their table, as if he’d been expecting this the whole time. “The Governor sent me from Woodbury to negotiate with you.” The man’s voice is calm, though there’s a hint of panic beneath it when Andrea draws her gun on him and keeps it aimed at his head.

Shoving his bow at Glenn a little harder Daryl growls to him, wanting to be listened to right now when he finally had a chance to do something for the pack. “Reload and go get Merle and the alphas. If he’s from Woodbury then my brother will know him and if he’s worth talking to.” He points out, nodding to Glenn in reassurance when he gets his bow loaded and ready to fire. Pointing it at the stranger through the railings he keeps his finger on the trigger, not caring if he had to pull it to defend himself and avenge those packmates they’d lost.

Glenn gives a heavy sigh but when Carl bolts in with a gun drawn on the guy and Andrea snarls for him to back off, sending the kid up to the perch to watch over the situation with Daryl, it seems to be enough for the beta to feel safe leaving him here. Carl of course stays close, looking him over even after Daryl’s given him a shrug to let him know he’s fine. Not once does he lower the crossbow and not once does Carl let up the grip on his gun.

“You’re the omega?” The stranger asks, seemingly uncaring of Andrea’s weapon or the fact that he’s got three packmembers ready to kill him in a second. Sure the guys smells of lingering worry, but he’s aware that their leading alphas would need to be informed of his presence. “Oh wow, I’ve never met a male omega before, let alone a pregnant one. How many weeks along are you? Is this your first litter? How many are you having?”

Gripping the crossbow tighter he focuses on the guy’s glasses, wanting to pierce through the lens and take out his eye. Then he could match his precious Governor. “Ain’t none of your concern right now.” He snarls, not surprised to feel Carl growling beside him, angry at someone they don’t know asking such questions of him. “You should be wondering why your Governor thought you would make such a nice sacrifice. Is this his way of trying to even out the score for T-Dog and Dale? Giving us a free shot?” His temper is flaring again and though he’d been wanting some kind of a move to be made, this isn’t exactly what he’d been expecting.

The stranger shakes his head, trying to seem reasonable Daryl supposes but right now they’re all too on edge to care much. “I told you, I’m here to negotiate. No one else needs to die, we can work this out.” As if it was going to be that easy for them all to just move on from this without anymore blood being spilled. Of course that’s what he wanted, but he knew how these things went, all it took was one bullet to be fired and then it’s all out war.

Shaking his head he leans a little closer to Carl when the kid places a hand on his shoulder, just letting him know he wasn’t alone right now. “Ain’t nothing to work out, you assholes need to leave us the hell alone.” Daryl spits, ready to just squeeze his finger and let the bolt fly when Merle comes storming in through the door followed by Rick and Shane.

“Milton? What the fuck are you doing here?” Merle is tense, pacing back and forth as he takes in the situation, glancing up to take a note of Daryl’s position and state of health before turning his attention back to the stranger. Well if Merle knew him then they knew he was from Woodbury and so far he’d been telling the truth.

“The Governor sent me to negotiate.” Milton looks a little relieved to see Merle but he’s still tense, sitting at their table and even bowing his head in respect to the two alphas that are watching him as he explains. “He doesn’t want there to be anymore blood spilled if he can help it, he believes we can come to an agreement that would be beneficial to both of our packs.”

Rick and Shane huff to each other, neither of them needing to speak to be able to share their thoughts between each other. Daryl watches them closely, he sees the way they move to split up, one either side of Milton and keeping themselves upright and strong, showing off their power even if Milton wasn’t challenging their position at all.

“Milty, we both know the Governor ain’t gonna back down until he gets what he wants and if the only thing he wants is my baby brother, then you know what the answer is going to be.” Merle scoffs, stepping back from the centre of the room to stand beside Andrea, giving the lead alphas some room and not pushing in on their space for the moment. Daryl can see the way Andrea wants to go forward and give the stranger a piece of her mind, but he can see the way she sets a hand on Merle’s arm, keeping him steady when Rick speaks.

“Daryl is our omega.” As usual Rick is firm with his words, steady and calm as he leans over the stranger, getting in his personal space and glaring at him. It makes Daryl’s chest tighten a little at getting to see his alpha defend him like that, so ready to do what was needed just for him. “There’s not going to be any negotiating with him as a bargaining chip.” Rick snarls and Daryl smirks when Milton leans back a little from him, pressing back against the table and then jerking forward when he realises Shane is right there growling behind him.

Milton swallows loudly and now Daryl can smell the real fear on him, his alphas doing a wonderful job at keeping him in line. “Well you haven’t heard what we have to offer yet…” Milton’s voice is small as he hunches down, trying to make himself a smaller target and show that he was submissive to the alphas.

“Doesn’t matter, nothing is worth that amount.” Shane snaps, and Daryl can see the way he’s tensed up, ready for a fight and bristling to be able to throw a punch. Shane’s always been the more physical minded of his alphas and where Rick preferred to negotiate with words, Shane preferred fists.

“Look I understand that this isn’t easy for any of us, but the Governor just wants what is the best for everyone.” Daryl scoffs at that loudly, but Milton ignores him and carries on. “Do you think you can protect him? According to our alpha soldiers they could have killed your omega in a second if they hadn’t been ordered otherwise. What about the litter? We have supplies, power, ammo, and one of our beta’s used to be an army medic. We can help you as much as you can help us.”

“You know what he’d do to me!” He calls out, temper taking over him despite Carl’s hand on his shoulder and making him wish he could storm down there and give that asshole a piece of his mind. “You know what he’d do to my kits to get me in heat again, stop talking as if this is an option any of us are willing to consider.” Because even if he’d had a moment of weakness after Dale’s death he knew that both himself and the rest of the pack would do anything to keep the litter safe now.

“What if we could guarantee the safety of your kits?” Milton asks and Daryl can see when everyone perks up to listen, everyone’s attention focussed on the stranger and waiting for him to explain. “The Governor is willing to wait until they’re born, he’d even help care for them as much as possible by giving you supplies. When they’re weaned they can be given to the rest of the pack and the omega can be traded in return for other goods.”

Merle breaks the uneasy silence that follows the proposal, spitting at the ground at Milton’s feet before going to lean over the man, only stopped by Andrea’s hand on his arm. “Milton, you ain’t a stupid man, heck you’re probably one of the smartest betas I’ve ever met. You look me in the eye and tell me you trust the Governor to keep his word and we’ll consider it, keeping in mind we’ll know if you’re lying.”

Daryl watches as Milton takes a breath, his eyes flitting from side to side before settling on Merle’s face when he speaks again. “He wants to meet with you all tomorrow. At a neutral meeting point midway between our two territories. There’s a granary down the road a bit, secure enough for us to all talk like civilised human beings and get this all fixed. All we want is the safety of our pack.” And Daryl snarls again, noting the way he’d avoided the question and given them new information to get distracted by.

He watches as Rick and Shane pace, Andrea watching them both and ready to follow their lead on this. Daryl has to admit the thought of this being solved without any violence is an appealing idea, he doesn’t know if he could bare to lose anyone else. “As do we.” Rick agrees, folding his arms to stand before Milton, watching him closely. “We don’t want anymore blood spilled, as I’m sure the Governor doesn’t either.”

“Then meet with him.” Milton smiles, and it’s not slimy at all, but in fact Daryl thinks he looks sincere. “I swear to you there will be no violence. As a sign of good faith the Governor sent me here unarmed to stay the night, that way you have a bargaining chip of your own should you feel threatened.”

“A beta?” Shane snorts, moving to lean a foot on the bench of the table besides Milton, leaning down to sneer at him and look him over. “Really? And exactly how are you a worthy bargaining chip?” Daryl can see when Shane bares his teeth at Milton and it makes him shiver a little at the feeling of power his alpha gives off.

Merle gives a sigh, leaning against the wall and looking bored with the mere thought of them listening to Milton. “He’s the Governor’s…”

“Advisor.”

“I was going to say bitch but that works too.” Merle shrugs, now pacing about on edge, Daryl can see him thinking it all through and he knows his brother doesn’t like this plan anymore than they do. “What if we send you back?”

“Then the Governor will see it as a refusal to try and sort this out and will declare war on your pack. Trust me, you don’t want to refuse. At least if you go to the meeting you can try and broker peace, isn’t it worth a shot?” Milton asks.

Daryl watches as the alpha’s all share looks between them. Merle may not be one of their leading alphas, but he was a part of the pack now and since he had some experience with Woodbury it seemed Rick and Shane were willing to take his advice in this situation. “We do live in a prison, could put him in a cell for the night.” Merle shrugs, glancing up to Daryl for a moment before turning back to Rick and Shane. “He ain’t gonna be no threat, damned near pissed his pants first time he saw a walker, ain’t gonna be able to handle anyone with a weapon coming at him.”

“And the meeting?” Shane asks. “What about that?”

Rick looks unsure, glancing around to all of them before giving a short nod. “We’ll discuss it further tonight, get him locked up.” Daryl can see the cogs turning in Rick’s mind and he knows that he’s planning something. There’s a look shared between the alphas, Shane giving a nod to Rick and Daryl can just see the silent conversation they’re having between them, something they don’t look like they want to share.

The bolt lodges itself in the table besides Milton, making the man squeak in worry and flinch before gazing up to Daryl on the perch along with the alphas. Giving a lazy shrug he points to his midsection, blaming them for the problem even if the kits were still asleep. “Got kicked, my finger slipped.”

They all know it’s a lie, but it wasn’t like it would hurt to threaten the Woodbury scum and let him know his place right now. Especially when he could see there was something they weren’t telling him.

Milton gets locked away at the end of the cell block, away from all of them and out of Daryl’s line of sight. Hershel speaks to the man politely enough and it seems Milton is rather excited to learn any information he can about anything, including Hershel’s amputation as well as the condition of the kits. Daryl stays away from him as much as possible, and Carl manages to keep him distracted enough by talking to him about the new bets placed on the amount of kits and their sexes. It helps a little and he ends up almost forgetting about Milton and the Woodbury incident until the kits decide to play football with his bladder and he heads down the hall to their bathroom.

When he’s done and heading back to the main cell block he hears them down the way, the alphas all discussing something together. Originally he intends to just head back, letting his alpha’s deal with whatever the issue is by themselves, but then he hears his name and figures that gives him the right to intervene.

“…And what if Daryl finds out? You know he’d want to be involved.”

“We need to keep him out of this, last time he got so worked up Carl said he debated doing something stupid.”

Rounding the corner he notes the way they all look up at him, each one of them smiling innocently and making him feel on edge. “What’re you talking about?” Leaning against the wall he tries to take the weight off his feet a little bit, feeling the kits kick at his ribs but ignoring the feeling for now as he fidgets with the hem of the poncho. “And why’d you want to keep me out of it?”

They all look uneasy, Rick can’t meet his eyes, Michonne is watching the others, Maggie is biting her lip and it’s only Merle who grins to him. “All right the game’s up. I didn’t want you to get involved and start getting all embarrassed.” His brother sighs, walking over and slipping an arm around his shoulders, urging him to walk alongside him away from the pack of alphas all still looking on edge. He knows Merle is the best liar he’s ever met and though he’s not exactly able to protest when he’s helped along, he doesn’t believe a word his brother says. “I was just having a talk with your alphas, figured I wasn’t here before your heats but I can do it now. Was just having the big brother talk with them all, you know; threatening them I’d kill them if they hurt you, defending your honour sort of thing.”

Merle is lying, Daryl knows it, the alphas all know it and he wants to protest and find out what is going on. But his brother won’t let go of him, he keeps steering him back towards the rest of the pack, going on about how he needed to make sure all those other alpha’s knew to respect his baby brother and not take advantage of him. Honestly his condition right now should make it obvious that he was beyond that point, but Merle wasn’t letting him get a word in edgeways and he has to wonder if he really wants to know what they were talking about.

He knows it’s got to have something to do with Milton and the meeting tomorrow, he knows they’re worried about him getting upset and stressed out by all of it and he knows they’re particularly worried about what his emotional state would have on the kits. But he trusts his alphas, and maybe he should try not to worry over all of this and let them handle it as was their duty,

Through the rest of the evening he waits for them to return to the cell block, and watches the door eagerly for them to come and let the pack know their decision. Surely they’d let the pack know what the plan was? They wouldn’t keep it to themselves, even if they knew he wouldn’t like the outcome they would tell him of course.

The alphas don’t show up, Merle spends the evening talking to him about everything and nothing to keep him from going to find them and between his brother and Carl he doesn’t get a moment to wonder what the hell the plan is until he’s too tired to care anymore. Merle coaxes him to bed, reminding him that the kits needed him to rest and keep up his strength for them all, guiding him to lie down and helping him to lie down in the most comfortable position he could manage at the moment. “Merle? You don’t wanna tell me what’s going on then fine, but please tell me, it’s not something stupid is it?”

“Nah why’d you think that?” Merle snorts, grabbing up his rifle to trade places on watch with Andrea for the night.

“Well you were involved in planning it, so I don’t have high hopes.”

“Hey!” His brother nudges at him in reprimand before tossing the blankets over him, never nice enough to tuck him in, but enough of a brother to toss over an extra pillow to him. “I was just giving my opinion little brother. Your alphas wanted to know if I’d go with them tomorrow to the meeting, keep an eye on Milton and be the muscle if they needed it. Nothing to worry about. We’re all just going to go and have a little chat with the Governor and try to get this whole thing sorted out. Only thing I know for sure is that I ain’t gonna let nothing happen to you or the kits all right? You can bet on that.”

“I trust you Merle, just don’t do anything dumb.”

“Have I ever let you down before baby brother?” Merle smirks to him before ruffling his hair, leaving him on the perch to try and sleep and leaving Daryl remembering every time his brother had let him down before.


	11. Fights, fears and a future?

Daryl is pissed. He’s so fucking pissed off and unable to do anything about it. The kits are kicking the hell out of him right now, all squirming and making it hard to pace back and forth but he can’t sit still right now when he’s feeling like this. He was the cause of all of this and no one had even bothered to ask his opinion on the matter before going through with their plan, all the alphas just ignoring anyone beneath them and doing whatever they wanted.

He knows that it’s well within their rights to do what they thought best for the pack, but after years of at least being allowed to know the decisions being made, it felt stifling to be kept out of it all. His alphas had left him asleep this morning, sneaking about when he was unconscious to get everything done and sorted without him, leaving him completely out of the loop about what was happening until he woke up to only half the pack in the cell block.

The lack of scents made him feel on edge and despite the Greene’s attempts to distract him he’d tried to find them all, calling out for his alphas and brother, wanting to know where they were and why the fuck Milton was still in his cell when it was past the point of the meeting time. If they’d wanted to go to the meeting then that was fine, he knew that they’d never even debate trading him with the Governor, but maybe Rick had hoped for some kind of understanding between them all, a way to broker peace between the two packs.

He’d scoured the place for a while, snarling all the while at Carl as his little alpha tried to distract him, pleading with him to come and eat and sit down, fretting about his health and the kits as he got more and more worked up. Their weapons supplies had been rifled through, leaving them with enough ammo and guns to defend themselves but the heavy fire power was gone and his alphas were nowhere to be seen. It felt as if they’d headed off for war without telling him.

All that was left of the pack for the moment were the Greene’s, Glenn, Carl with Lori and Carol on watch in the guard tower. His alphas and brother had gone off without so much as a goodbye, taking their weapons and he didn’t know if any of them would be coming back. The worry and panic for them all knots up inside of him and when Carl stops him from going outside to check on the grounds he finds himself snapping at the little alpha.

“Did you know about this?” He’s on edge and growling, getting close to Carl and trying to intimidate him, using his height to his advantage and trying to get him to talk even if he was lower down the ranking of their pack.

“No!” The kid barks bark, not shrinking back in the slightest but also not mad, in fact Carl looks about as worried as he does about the whole thing. “Daryl I swear I didn’t!”

Daryl huffs a little. He and Carl had gotten close over the last few weeks, sharing everything between them with his little alpha acting as his personal bodyguard when he needed it. Sighing deeply he places a hand on the bump, trying to stop the kits from kicking quite so hard right now. “But you told them about what I said didn’t you? After Dale died?”

Carl at least has the decency to hang his head in shame, nodding slightly before looking up to meet his eyes, honest and loyal to the last. “I had to Daryl.” He explains, reaching out to take his hand and try to tug him back to the table in their common area, wanting him away from the door and potential danger. “I was scared for you. I didn’t want you hurting yourself or giving yourself up for us.” He whispers and Daryl knows he’d scared the kid when he’d been saying those things, consumed by fear and grief to just let his emotions run wild with his mind and make him debate the final answer to all their problems.

He allows Carl to tug him back inside, but the anger and frustration over the whole situation is still raw inside of him, scraping beneath the surface and making him want to at least do something. “So you told them, you told our alphas and now they’re out there practically sacrificing themselves instead.” He hisses, wanting to snatch up a weapon himself and follow them, to give as good as he got and take down that Governor once and for all. Of course he knows he wouldn’t get very far, but the idea was enough to cling to right now.

“Daryl they’ll be fine.” Beth speaks up from her seat at the table, going through bay clothes and folding them into neat little piles divided by colour. “You need to stop stressing out or you’re going to upset the kits.” She’s right, of course she’s right but sometimes he wants to tell them to stop worrying so much about the damned kits and just listen to him. He’s not just their omega, he’s Daryl first and right now Daryl wants to go out there and protect his pack if he could.

Hershel is there with his calming voice and soothing words, right as always and coaxing him to try and breathe a bit easier. “She’s right son, you’ve already had some false contractions, and enough stress might set you off into full labour. It’s too early for you to birth them yet, they’re not strong enough.” Daryl knows that, he’s gone through what little books they have on the topic and he knows he’s got a few weeks to go for the kits to have a really decent chance at surviving. Omegas always birthed litters early, but he didn’t want to be too early and cause problems for them all.

Taking a deep breath he tries to calm the tension in his shoulders and across his chest, moving to rub at his lower back but he can’t stop pacing in worry all the same. “I’m fine, I’m fine.” He tries to smile reassuringly to them all but he can see they don’t believe it for a second.

“Daryl you’re only twenty weeks along.” He knows that, his own countdown chart keeps telling him he’s only halfway through this damned pregnancy and already the size of a house. He was just hopeful that he would be early and cut it off before he hit forty weeks and was just a blob. “The kits need to be at least twenty eight weeks along to have any kind of chance of survival. Please calm down.”

Rolling his eyes he knows all of this, he’s been studying as much as he could and learning everything possible about what he was going through, but reading a book and going through it were two completely different things. Everyone seemed to think he was going to keel over any minute and start giving birth when he knew he wasn’t that close yet. “I said I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? You’re breathing kind of heavy…”

Whatever calm he had been channelling vanishes and he’s snapping again, turning to face the cell and snarling through the bars at the non packmate beta still in their home. “Shut the fuck up Milton this doesn’t concern you!” It shouldn’t feel so good to have the other man flinch back away from him, but a flicker of pride goes through him all the same.

“Daryl!” And there’s Maggie, the only alpha left in the prison right now and their leader for the moment until the others got back. Of course he listens to her, giving her all of his attention and following her orders dutifully. “Sit down before you fall down.”

Slumping at their table he picks at the wood before moving to grasp at one of the baby grows sitting on the table top. It’s so small, dainty and light, barely anything at all in his grip. “This is so screwed up.” Daryl sighs, laying out the clothing and taking note of how tiny and fragile it was. “Do you know what they’re doing out there? I know you know Maggie, you were there last night, tell me what’s going on? They left Milton here, a lot of the ammo is gone and no one will tell me what’s going on.” He just needs to know right now, to have some answers to cling to and some knowledge of understanding of the situation.

“Daryl I will tell you but you need to stay calm and try to eat and drink something.” He can tell Maggie is trying her best, attempting to keep everyone in the pack calm and following orders, acting strong and in control. Even if he can see the way she watches the door warily and has her gun at the ready at all times. “Please, if not for you then for the kits.”

Taking a deep breath he accepts the can of peaches from Glenn and tries to take a few moments to do as he’s told. Keeping as calm as he could and taking a few bites of food, licking the juice off his fingers before sharing the rest of the can with Carl. “Fine I’m sitting and eating.” He gestures to his good behaviour before turning to watch her. “So tell me.”

Maggie is calm, as calm as she can be when in a situation like this, suddenly thrown in to the deep end of having to lead half a pack and keep them safe. He admires her strength and determination, trying to be respectful when all he wants is to question her for all the answers. “The only reason we didn’t tell you sooner was because we knew it would be too much stress for you and Rick was scared you’d try to sacrifice yourself and the kits for us. Please try to understand he did this for all of us.” She looks scared of his response but he knows she’s not to blame for all of this, she was only doing her duty as an alpha.

“Maggie I’m too tired to be mad anymore, just tell me.” He wants to yell and scream for her to just tell him, but he knows that won’t help and if he keeps stressing himself out they’d really hold back all information for fear of the kits being upset. “I’ll yell at Rick later but I need to know what I’m going to be yelling about.”

She looks uneasy but he knows she’s as on edge about all of this as he is and sharing the burden would help. “Well you know there was no way we were going to be agreeing to the deal and Rick knew there was no way the Governor was going to take no for an answer. He got as much information as he could from Merle about what weapons they had and who the Governor would take with him to a fight.”

“You were preparing for a fight even though I said it was to be a peaceful negotiation?” Milton cuts in, pressed against the bars of his cell and watching them all. Daryl can smell the unease on him and the beta clearly had about as little idea about what was going on as he did.

“Why would we believe you Milton?” Carl snaps from beside Daryl, glaring up at the non pack member and Daryl can see the way his hand inches towards his gun. “Your Governor hasn’t exactly proved himself trustworthy, just ask T-dog and Dale.” Daryl has to agree with that, this Governor hadn’t given them anything to trust and Merle had made it very clear what sort of a man he was.

“Hey you killed some of ours too.” Milton protests weakly, watching them all and fidgeting behind the bars, clearly aware of how he was outnumbered and out gunned.

“After you kidnapped me and Maggie.” Glenn snorts and Daryl can see how much his friend wants to beat on the other beta for that, to take him down and make him pay for everything that had happened back then.

“We were both at fault.” Milton shrugs and Daryl can’t be bothered with this conversation right now, not when he just wants to know what to expect.

“Maggie please…” He begs the alpha, watching her closely as she continues to explain the plan.

“Rick took Shane, Merle, Michonne and Andrea to the meeting point two hours before the scheduled time. We planned an ambush for the Governor and his men. We didn’t expect a negotiation at all, we expected to be attacked and then for a siege on the prison until he got what he wanted.” She doesn’t say he’s the prize at the end of all this, but he can hear it between the lines anyway. Nodding solemnly he also knows that means his alphas were taking on a lot of danger for him right now and there was nothing he could do.

They can all feel the tension in the air as they discuss it. Glenn is on edge, Carl places a hand on Daryl’s knee beneath the table and he can see how scared Beth is even if she tries to hide it. They’re all trying so hard for him right now, to keep him and the kits safe and happy and all he can worry about is his alphas and brother. If they’d expected an attack then there was only one option left for them. “So they…”

Maggie nods, looking just as upset about the idea as he feels. “There was no intention of talking this through. Rick was sick of waiting for this to draw to a head, with the Governor’s one track mind and you getting closer and closer to giving birth he didn’t want to risk the pack’s safety anymore.” He knew Rick had been getting more and more on edge about it all but usually his first alpha was so calm it was hard to think of him finally snapping. He knows Shane and Merle had probably helped convince him, and if Carl had told him about his little moment of weakness, then it’s no wonder Rick agreed. “He was waiting for the right moment and when Milton mentioned the meeting, he knew it was our chance.”

A thud makes them all look up, seeing that Milton had fallen to the floor, looking dazed and upset. “You…they…my pack…”

Daryl feels hollow at the sight of the other man, he looks so lost right now, trapped behind the bars and now he knew what they had sent after them. He can’t imagine how awful it must feel, if he thought he was worried about his pack, then Milton must be even worse off. At least Daryl’s pack had been on the offensive, Milton’s had no idea about the upcoming ambush and he knew there was almost zero chance of anyone coming out unscathed. A part of him wants to go and comfort the other man even if a moment ago he’d wanted to punch him. He just doesn’t want anyone else to feel that pain of losing packmates that he’d been through twice now.

Standing from his seat he can feel Carl behind him as he goes over to the cell, keeping his distance from the bars as he watches the beta crumple. Milton looks so small, lost and alone and he doesn’t want him to feel like that, he doesn’t want anyone to feel like that again. “I’m sorry Milton. I’m so sorry.” But despite his sympathy, he still knows he’d rather have his pack safe than anyone else’s’.

Milton doesn’t respond, instead the other man stays on the floor of his cell, and Daryl leaves him to his grief. Carl tries to distract him, still ready with his weapon at all times but trying to get him to focus on other things and as usual their conversation goes to the kits. They talk about how long it’s going to be until they’re born, Carl asks questions about being a big brother, and Daryl tries to imagine how in the hell he’s going to cope with suddenly being tasked with having some babies to care for. He can barely look after himself right now let alone anyone else.

The baby clothes are so small and though everyone keeps going on and on about how he’ll be fine and how instinct will kick in and let him know what he needs to do, there’s the worry that it might not. What if instinct doesn’t kick in and he’s left completely fucking lost with a batch of kits dependant on him for everything? The time drags on and when more than a few hours have passed he’s getting fucking terrified for his pack. Carl is still trying to distract him but he can’t focus, it’s all just a mish mash of baby clothes and baby items, Carl’s questions and the niggling fear in his tummy of something having gone wrong. He spends his time at the window, watching out over the grounds and trying to hear anything that sounded remotely like the pack returning.

It’s been a long day of waiting when he finally hears the sound of the trucks returning he moves as quickly as he can to get outside, ignoring the other’s when they try to keep him inside in case it’s not their pack. But he knows it is, he can feel it and he knows the sound of their vehicles. When Carol and Lori open the gates for them he’s franticly searching, trying to see if they’d lost anyone in the battle.

If he could run he would, but as it is he can just about walk over to them all, shoving at Merle and swearing at his brother for being such a dick and not telling him sooner. “You could have been killed! You fucking moron, if nothing else the Governor hates you for leaving them, he could have shot you, he could have killed you and taken you away from me, again!” He knows he’s not even hitting Merle with full force right now, and his brother merely shrugs off his attacks, moving to wraps his arms around Daryl and keep him close.

“Hey, he didn’t though. I’m here, we’re all here and safe baby brother.” Merle presses their foreheads together, trying to calm him down and Daryl knows Merle can feel the kits kicking about from how close they’re pressed together. “It’s all over now you hear? Ain’t no one gonna take you, just like I said.” His brother won’t tell him to calm down, but Merle does take the time to let him breathe easier, holding him close before he allows the other alpha’s near.

Rick and Shane are bruised, each of them spattered with blood and Daryl doesn’t know whether to be grateful or angry that they were back. Storming over he doesn’t care that they’re in the middle of reassuring Carl of their return, he’s too angry to wait right now. “What the fuck were you thinking?” He snarls to them both, not caring about his position and just wanting to make them feel at least a little guilty for what they’d put him through. “You could have died, all of you could have died! What then? You’d have left us without our lead alphas, my kits without any sires, me without a brother and all because you weren’t willing to give me up?” He pants, out of breath and still fuming, wanting to hit and bite to get them to listen to him. “That was reckless and stupid and…and…”

“And we’re all fine.” Rick kisses him deeply, running his hands over his body to scent him before moving to kiss at his neck. “It’s done and we’re all fine and safe and it’s fixed. We fixed it.” His alpha holds him steady, cupping his face in his hands and keeping him still for a moment. Daryl tries to catch his breath, still angry but so pleased that they were back and safe with him.

Shane moves to hold him, wrapping an arm about his shoulders and staying close as they all head back into the cell block. He can’t help but feel on edge about the group lingering at the gates, members of Woodbury that it seems had been brought back with them. “Alpha?” He goes to ask but Shane kisses him quiet, sitting with him at the table whilst Rick stands before all of them, panting but strong with pride and victory.

“We won.” The pack doesn’t cheer, but there’s a sense of accomplishment between them all. Daryl can see the way Carl grins, how Beth leans against her father and Glenn kisses Maggie in celebration. It’s a moment of relief rather than success, and Daryl lets himself rest against Shane for a moment.

When Milton speaks it’s not vicious, just dull. As if his voice had lost all life in it. “They dead?”

Rick shakes his head, moving closer to the cell to speak to the man properly. That was one of the things he loved about Rick, his alpha may be the highest ranking but he spoke to everyone as an equal unless he had to. “Only those who were armed and fired upon us first. We requested the Governor to surrender, to give us the weapons and go back to Woodbury, to leave us alone and we would leave him and his pack alone. He refused and ordered them to fire. There was a battle, we took down those that we had to, the Governor fled with a couple of men, some that were left lay down their weapons and submitted to us. I’m sorry about your packmates Milton, but we want to fix what’s happened anyway we can.”

Milton doesn’t sound convinced, taking a moment to clean his glasses in a nervous habit before responding to Rick. “And how are you going to do that? The Governor was our lead alpha, without him Woodbury will fall, there will be fights between alphas jockeying for position. He wasn’t just our leader, he was my…” The beta loses his voice but Daryl can see that this was truly painful for him, that he’d lost more than just an alpha today.

“I’m sorry Milton.” Rick’s voice is quiet and honest. Even if they had been enemies, the man still hated having to use violence to solve problem. “I truly am sorry for what had to be done.” Because the truth of it was that Rick would have preferred any other choice but violence, and the fact he’d had to choose it showed how little options they’d had.

Standing from his seat he pads over to the cell, wanting to offer his sympathies again and knowing even if his words meant nothing to Milton, he had to try. “I’m sorry Milton, if it weren’t for me…”

“No.” The beta cuts him off, wiping at his eyes before coming to lean against the bars of his cell. “Don’t apologise for being what you are. Phillip was my friend, the man before the outbreak was my friend and I want to remember him, not the Governor, the man who was obsessed with omegas.” Milton sounds disgusted with the mere idea of it and through it all Daryl knew the other man had not been exactly on board with the Governor’s wants.

“He’s still out there Milton.” Merle tells him, not as sympathetic as he should be but hey, it was Merle. “He fled like a coward, tail between his legs and whining with his bitches following him. Abandoned his other alphas, only thinking of saving his own ass.” Daryl can hear the disgust in his brother’s voice and decides not to bring up how many times Merle had ditched others to save himself.

“Merle enough.” He sighs, moving from the cell to retake his seat, rubbing at his aching back and just enjoying the safety of being surrounded by his entire pack.  “We have other things to do.”

“You said something about fixing this?” Milton asks Rick.

“Take us to Woodbury.” His alpha nods, looking determined as he explains his next plan of action. “You should be the one to explain what happened along with the alphas that submitted to us.” Rick gestures outside to where the other men linger at the gates. “Your packmates’ bodies have been spared for you to do with as you wish. We also have a proposal for you.”

“Go on.”

“Join us.” Daryl had not been expecting that. “Your pack is weak now you said it yourself. There’s plenty of room here at the prison we can clear out another cell block for you all. It would be safer, we could work together to form a stronger pack, it’s not unheard of for a pack to be so large. It could work for all of us, we could use the extra hands, we have a farm already taking route, we know you have skilled people as do we. It could be a benefit for all of us.” Rick explains to Milton and the rest of his pack.

“Rick are you sure that’s wise?” Hershel asks, always the mediator and giver of advice. “We have a pregnant omega due to birth a litter in a few weeks, do you want the added stress of new packmates to deal with as well?” Daryl has to agree, bringing in so many new packmates would be a lot of work to get the prison ready for all of them and right now he kind of had other things on his mind to focus on. Moving to bury his head in Shane’s neck he stays there, just taking in the scent of his alpha and enjoying the way Shane curls his arm about him protectively.

Rick nods, strong and firm. “If it keeps everyone safe and can help the Woodbury pack through this tough time then it’s worth it.” Because despite everything that had happened, Rick still wanted to save everyone. It was admirable really. “What do you think Milton?”

“I can’t speak for everyone, but…I don’t think I could deal with a Woodbury without Phillip. Everyone can make their own decision but as for me, I’d like to stay here. I can’t go back, I just can’t.”

“Then we go now and we ask them.” Rick takes the keys and unlocks the cell, letting Milton free and nodding for him to follow them. “We help secure Woodbury for anyone who wants to stay there and bring the rest here. The Woodbury residents who lost their lives will be given to their families and friends and we shall give them the respect they deserve.” Each packmate nods at the plan and Daryl finds himself unwilling to argue when Rick just sounds so damned sure of himself. The kits kick at his ribs in response and the tension in his shoulders relaxes a little when Shane kisses him softly. “We can live as one pack and be stronger for it, we can survive this world together.”


	12. Settled

Each day gets more and more uncomfortable for him and it’s not long before Daryl is spending most of his time just trying to find a position to be in that doesn’t cause him discomfort. By twenty four weeks in the kits are all completely active, kicking at him at all hours, punishing him if there’s too much pressure placed on the bump and reacting to loud noises. They all jump in unison at a door slamming and Daryl finds the feeling oddly strange when they all jolt against his insides at once.

At times he loves them and finds himself talking to the bump, stroking over his stretched skin and poking at them just to feel them kick back. Other times he wishes it was just over and he could see his feet again. He finds himself out of breath at the smallest things now, even just walking outside to enjoy the fresh air now they were safe was a task and he usually ended up leaning on whoever was with him for support more often than not. Hershel is impressed with his progress, constantly asking questions of him and giving him reassuring smiles when he explains the feelings and changes he’d been experiencing.

The Woodbury pack have settled in as well as could be expected he supposes and though he tends to keep his distance from a lot of them, there are some that he knows he’d like to get to know better when he wasn’t feeling so vulnerable. The army medic Bob turns out to be nice enough and though he was used to tending to bullet wounds and lost limbs, he knew enough from medical school to get them a list of items that would help with the kits’ birth.

Tyreese and Sasha, the siblings are especially interesting to him. They’re born of the same litter, an omega mother having birthed them and raised them, meaning they were more understanding of his position and eager to help in anyway they could. The two of them are more than happy to answer any questions he has for them about how they were raised and what their pack had been like when they were younger. Though it clearly still hurt to remember such times before all of this, but they go through it for him, easing some of his fears and giving him information that Lori and Carol just couldn’t give.

Milton has settled into his place in the pack and honestly Daryl would consider him more on their side of the fence than Woodbury’s. They don’t intend for there to be any division between them all, but of course due to the space in the cell blocks there is a minor one because of where they sleep. But Rick and the other alphas make sure not to separate them along those lines during the day, bringing them all together to help with the chores and on the farm, training them up and letting everyone give their individual talents to the success of the pack.

It’s what works for them and though there are various members of the Woodbury people that Daryl doesn’t like to be around by himself, in general things are pretty stable and safe for them all. It’s not as stressful as things were before, he can move about freely without the panic of another sniper taking down his packmates and somehow he can even feel that the kits are happier. The alphas are far more relaxed with it all, Rick spends more time with everyone instead of roaming the perimeters, Carl is more relaxed and though Daryl knows he’s still a crack shot with a weapon, the kid actually acts more like a kid now there are people his own age around.

Andrea and Michonne are quite the team, heading out on horseback to try and track the Governor’s movements and see if they could find any sign of him. The pack wants all lose ends tied up and Daryl can’t blame them. Finally managing to have a time of peace has left them all wondering just how long it will last and though they’re all trying to enjoy it, there’s a continuous worry at the back of their minds. Whenever they returned from a day of searching Daryl swore they had gotten closer, a pair of alphas now of equal rank in their pack and holding each other close until their scents intermingled as one.

He didn’t mean to steer clear of the Woodbury pack too much, but as the weeks went on and he got closer and closer to his due date, he found himself tending to stick closer to his alphas when he could. They were nice enough and though a few of them still gave Merle a glare or two, there was never any dissention amongst their new larger pack. Things were good and Daryl was enjoying the time he actually got to relax outside now.

The grass is soft beneath him, cushioning his back where it aches and letting him just breathe in the smell of fresh air around him. Shane is beside him, chewing on a stalk of grass with his eyes closed and just enjoying the time with him. Lately he’d been unable to do much of anything else, he’s far too big to do much now, hitting twenty eight weeks meant he could barely walk without assistance and standing up was a task in itself. Right now Shane was the only alpha he could stand to be around, both Rick and Andrea had gotten so nervous lately they were just constantly asking questions and not letting him go anywhere alone. Shane was far more relaxed, giving him room to breathe and do what he wanted without hovering.

The sun is bright above them both, leaving them both hot and enjoying the lazy summer heat together. Daryl shifts a little to lean on his side, watching Shane and trailing his fingers over his alpha’s side. His alpha is still all muscle, dozing in the sun with his shirt open and showing himself off, purring lightly he nuzzles closer, pressing his lips to Shane’s ribs.

“What are you playing at down there?” His alpha asks, reaching down a hand to run through his hair, brushing it out from his eyes.

Daryl purrs, looking up at him, giving a loose shrug beneath the poncho. “Just playing is all.” The first time he’d found himself mewling for his alphas he’d gone to Hershel in worry, fretting that he was back in heat and something had happened to the kits even if he could still feel them kicking. Hershel had reassured him that it was normal for his hormones to go a little crazy right now and that his body was getting through the good times before all he can focus on is the kits.

Shane grunts in acceptance and goes back to dozing, just letting him take his time to do what he wants. Daryl can imagine that when Lori was pregnant with Carl Rick can been the panicking one and Shane had been the calm one. Lori had told him some of the stories about when they’d all been expecting, how she’d had them wrapped around her little finger and doing whatever she’d wanted. For a while he’d considered having the three of them doing his bidding, searching for food he was craving and bringing him whatever he wanted. Of course there had been other things to think about so he’d behaved himself.

Moving closer he rakes his nails over Shane’s side, nipping at his skin and tracing over his nipple lightly. Shane hisses a little and glances to him, shifting a little to meet his eyes. His alphas have been wonderful throughout this whole thing, doing their best to protect him and their litter, but sometimes he enjoyed these moments the most, when they would just sit with him and enjoy their time together. Shane sits up to get closer to him, moving to rub a hand over Daryl’s lower back and ease the pain there with a small smile. “You worried about it?”

Shifting a little he rests his head on Shane’s leg, propping himself up enough to join in the conversation and using his alpha to shadow himself from the sunlight. “Bout what?” He asks, fidgeting with the hem of the poncho and hating that he barely had any clothes that fit anymore.

“Giving birth?” Shane continues, picking at the grass before letting it fall to the ground, using his free hand to stroke through Daryl’s hair when he settles onto his back.

Shrugging a little he’s not really sure how to answer the question since he hadn’t really given it much thought at all. “Are you?” He asks Shane instead, wondering if he’d brought up the question for that reason, though he may act on his emotions a lot Shane didn’t like to talk of them, so maybe he was just worried about the whole thing.

“I’ve been through it before and I’m sure it’s a lot different from my side of the fence.” Shane smiles down to him, leaning over to press a kiss to his lips before scenting him, rubbing their faces together and making Daryl whine a little in enjoyment. Lazy days like this were the best and he leans up for more kisses, knowing he could actually get his own way and act like a needy omega if he wanted to.

“Ask Rick and Andrea they’re usually the ones asking me this shit.” He shrugs, flopping back to his comfortable position and feeling one of the kits dig their foot out, kicking at another one and himself. Growling a little he pokes at the spot they’re hurting, giving back as good as them, getting frustrated where before he’d been so excited over the movements. He didn’t mind Shane worrying, but it was his other alphas that kept asking all the questions of him and when it was one he hadn’t thought about he didn’t know how to answer it.

Shane shrugs back, moving to rub his hands over Daryl’s chest, easing the tightness there and soothing the aches around his nipples. “Hey, I’m just asking, it’s getting closer you know, just wanted to know if there was anything I could do to help.” His alpha purrs, leaning back to kiss him again, nibbling on his lower lip in the way he knows Daryl likes and winning him over easily.

Daryl wondered if he was really that easy to please, but he feels calmer almost instantly, looking up at Shane with nothing but adoration. “Honestly I haven’t thought about it.” He explains, playing with the buttons on Shane’s shirt and tugging him down for more kisses every so often. He liked this shirt, it was possibly his favourite one of Shane’s and something inside of him wants it for his own. “I’ve been kinda busy worrying about afterwards with the kits.”

“Well you’ve got to do the giving birth bit first.” Fingers move to trail over his cheeks, stroking over his neck and lips softly, calming and gentle in the summer sunlight.

Rolling his eyes a little Daryl nips at his fingers, hating being assumed to be so naïve about this all. “I just hadn’t thought about it. Figured Hershel would help out and I can handle pain, I’ve done it before.” More than enough times. Pain was something he would be able to cope with no matter what because he knew to just steer through until it was over. Whenever he was in pain he just knew he had tp survive it because on the other side was a time without pain, a time to recover. Besides, at least at the end of this pain he’d have a litter as a reward.

“It’s more than just pain Daryl, labour can last a long time and the stress of it all with a litter can be pretty tough.” Shane explains, walking his fingers over his pulse point before stroking over his skin again making Daryl feel relaxed enough not to growl, instead phrasing his anger as a joke.

“You know I think I did read that somewhere, maybe we should sign up for birthing classes, or think about an epidural, or have a caesarean, I’ll just ask my midwife…oh wait a minute…” He pauses, placing a finger to his lips in mock thought and chuckling when Shane swats his hand away.

“Don’t be like that, I’m just trying to help Daryl.” But there’s a smile on his face, bright in the sunlight and letting Daryl see beyond the worry.

“Well it ain’t like I’ve got much of a choice Shane.” He stretches, burying his toes against the grass and yawning, as usual just doing anything was taking it out of him easily. “I’ll just have to deal with whatever happens when it happens. Everyone keeps going on and on about instinct kicking in, hopefully that’ll be enough. It ain’t like we’ve got any medical shit for if something goes wrong with me or the kits.” Placing a hand on the bump he feels them squirming around inside of him, alive and well for the moment but not easing the slight hint of fear that lingers and grows every day the due date grows closer.

Shane leans over him again, kissing at his lips before moving to stroke over the bump with him, tapping his fingers over it and feeling when the kits kick back in response. “You worried about them?”

Of course he is. He’s fucking terrified for them all, himself and the kits but he didn’t know how to put that into words. Besides everyone was looking to him to know what to do and he didn’t want to let them down. Sighing a little he thinks back to all the books he’s been rereading lately, trying to make sure there were no surprised coming his way and wanting to be prepared for anything. “I know litters are always smaller, and Hershel says they’ve got a 90% chance of survival now, but I still can’t help but panic.” He reveals, and right now, with just he and Shane it doesn’t feel so shameful to admit his fears. “I ain’t never done this before Shane, heck I ain’t never even been around a baby before.”

“Never?”

“I was the baby of my family.” He explains, picking at the buttons on Shane’s shirt before moving to nibble on his thumb nail, easing his nerves with the familiar habit. “Ain’t never had no cousins or other relatives around that had kids. Heck, Carl is probably the youngest kid I’ve actually interacted with and he’s already a fledgling and growing fast.”

“He is isn’t he?” And there’s that pride in Shane’s voice, the one he gets whenever he talks of Carl and the same smile whenever he watches his boy and thinks no one is looking. Daryl wonders if the kits will get that same look when they’re older. “Well you know we’re all going to be here for you don’t you? No matter what happens we’re going to be there to help out with the kits and get you through this.”

Nodding he picks at his nail, not watching Shane but watching the clouds for a while, and wondering if he was right to share his fears and worries with the alpha of his pack. Shane had other duties to attend to and despite the peace they were in he knew an alpha’s role in raising their children. Sure they helped out as much as they could, but with a pack like theirs, it would mainly be himself and the betas caring for the kits. He doesn’t mind that of course, heck his pack were just as excited as any of them for the arrivals and he should be grateful for the help he would get. But sometimes he wonders if he’ll be any use at all with the kits.

Lori and Carol had their own experience from raising their own, they knew what to do and how to care for newborns, he didn’t have the slightest clue. And with each day that passed and his due date looming he began to panic even more that it didn’t feel like any instincts were kicking in for him. Maybe he’d managed to stop them somehow? In all his years of trying to be an alpha, maybe he’d broken them and now he was going to be birthing a litter he had no idea how to care for.

The betas would be fine raising the kits though. They were already producing milk for them all and he could see how excited they all were at the thought of it all. Everyday Beth was going through their supplies, double checking clothing, going through bottles and diapers for him and rechecking once more to be sure. Now they had even more pack members that could help out. Heck Milton had probably read so much about omegas and kits that he’d be able to help out more than Daryl would and the beta looked as if he’d never even been fucking touched, let alone mated with.

Sighing a little he tries to just enjoy the sun and having Shane with him, and not dwell on the thought of not being able to care for his own kits. Merle would be fine, his brother had practically raised him himself between their dad being a drunken moron and their mother being no more than an empty shell of a woman. So at least he’d have his brother there to deal with it all when he had no clue what he was doing.

A part of him thought of just giving up the kits after he’d birthed them, handing them to the betas and the rest of the pack and taking his place as the lowest ranked member. He could still hunt for them and defend them and once the kits were birthed he’d be able to get back in shape and be more of a threat again. It might be better for all involved if he just went through the process and let them go, after all if his instincts didn’t kick in he might not even get attached to them at all.

But then there’s that hollow feeling in his chest he gets at thinking like that. Though he may not be overprotective yet, he still knows a huge part of him thinks of them as his kits. Yes they were the pack’s, but he was the one who’d carried them, the one who was going to be birthing them all and the one who’d had to go through all the discomfort of it all. So he wanted to be their carer, their provider, he just didn’t know how exactly and that was a scary thought, that he would want to help but be so bad at it the others simply turn him away.

There’s also one more fear plaguing his nightmares at the moment, and it’s one that he hasn’t voiced to anyone at all. He doesn’t know what he’s going to do when giving birth, he doesn’t know who will be there or who he’ll want around him at that time, but he knows he needs to tell someone just in case. “Shane?”

His alpha is watching him, still stroking lightly over his pulse point, and humming gently in the warm air. “Yes?”

He feels bad for even thinking it, but it’s a possibility they all need to be prepared for, especially with how the world was now and the lack of assistance they had for his birthing. Litters were always smaller than single births, they tended to be earlier than their due date and sometimes needed special care, especially if it was the omega’s first litter. “I need you to promise me something.”

“Anything.”

Daryl doesn’t know if his alpha would be so eager to promise that when he hears what he has to say, but he knows he can’t back out now. Kits in a litter had more risk involved, they were smaller, they could be at more of a risk of illness or worse. Taking a breath he can’t look at him when he speaks, so instead he keeps his eyes closed and speaks to the clouds about Shane. “If one of the kits is stillborn, or dies during the birthing, I need you to do it. I don’t think I’d be able to handle it.”

There’s a silence between them for a while, Shane’s fingers have stopped stroking over his skin and Daryl can feel them tremble a little where they hover beside his ear. After a while he looks up to Shane and can see the pain in his eyes, the horror of a thought that hadn’t occurred to him before and how they would have to deal with it. Daryl knows it’s a possibility and he honestly doesn’t think he could bare to be put through that, not after everything else.

“Please Shane. I need you to swear.” He’s worried about this by himself enough, and now he needs to know that should the situation arise, it will be taken care of.

Shane is quiet for a while longer before moving down to kiss his hard, moving to scent him thoroughly before pressing their foreheads together. “I swear I’m not going to let anything happen to you or our kits. Everything’s going to be fine.” It’s not the words he’d been expecting to hear but it’s something Shane has been reassuring him of every single time he ever shares one of his worries with him. It’s an alpha’s promise of safety and it’s one he wishes he could have complete faith in.

“Shane you can’t-“

“I promise you that Daryl.” And Shane sounds so determined that Daryl clings a little tighter and nods in reply, swallowing back his fears and hoping they’d never come true.


	13. Nesting

Something is wrong.

Daryl doesn’t know how to describe it, but he just knows something is wrong. It just doesn’t feel right and he’s not sure how to explain it to anyone else. The kits seem well enough, they’re still moving about as much as before, still bugging the hell out of him but it’s easier to breathe nowadays, as if they’ve shifted down a little or something. He’s pretty sure that it’s not the kits, it’s him and now he’s reached week thirty two, it feels like it’s far too late to be having problems with this whole thing.

The whole week has been difficult and he’s been feeling more and more off everyday that passes. It had started as just a feeling, a little niggle somewhere inside of him that made him feel uneasy and on edge more often than not, and unlike every other time he felt like that, he didn’t want to go to his alphas. In fact he didn’t really want to be around anyone. It seemed like too much to deal with anymore, being around other people made him feel uncomfortable and more often than not he found himself wandering the prison as much as he could and spending time by himself.

Of course the pack didn’t really like that. They’d trail him, follow him around and try to distract him with things, wanting to keep him busy and get him smiling, trying to talk to him when really it all just seemed too much effort. Everyone keeps trying to stop him from helping out with the chores, but he doesn’t know how to explain that right now he wants to clean. It’s dumb. He’s never cleaned so much in his life but right now, even if it was hard to move comfortably he just felt the need to tidy up and make sure everything was in its rightful place. The pack keep giving him odd looks but he ignores them, continuing to make sure he knows where everything is and that’s it’s all ready. He doesn’t know what he needs it ready for, but it makes him feel better to know it is all the same.

He’s more fidgety than usual. Along with everything else he can’t seem to sit still even if it’s difficult to move nowadays since he’s so big and his balance is completely off. Sleep comes in fits and starts, leaving him awake at the odd hours and rereading all the baby books they’d found desperately for some answers. Everything says his instincts should be in full force right now, but he doesn’t feel anything apart from uncomfortable.

It’s worrying but he doesn’t know how to tell the others that he’s completely broken and lost right now.

The perch doesn’t feel comfortable anymore to him, and he knows every morning Merle wakes up without him there just makes the worry his brother has for him multiply. But he doesn’t know how to explain that it’s just not comfortable anymore and no matter how many extra pillows they stack up for him, he just doesn’t want to be there. Every evening he’s found himself wandering the halls, checking the cells and every place they’ve secured for something. He’s not sure what for but he hopes he’ll know it when he finds it.

They’ve made him a birthing cell.

It’s sweet really and he’s flattered. There’s sheets hung up for privacy and even a few over the walls to hide the stonework and make it look more homely and less like a cell. A couple of the bunks have been pushed together to make a double, there’s extra cushions and blankets all over, with a stack of towels and other supplies nearby. Really it’s everything he should need, with a large cushion lined box ready for the kits when they were born with all the soft blankets and baby clothes nearby for them. He doesn’t know where they got the box from, or how they got it back to the prison in one piece, but it’s perfect. Large enough for the kits to use as their first crib together, letting them be close to one another like litters preferred but safe enough not to roll about and hurt themselves.

The birthing cell is perfect, it’s everything he should be wanting and everyday they try to get him to spend more time there, letting him know he could sleep there if he wanted. Problem was he didn’t want to be there. The cell was wonderful, but it was just wasn’t right. Sure everything was there and it was clean and perfect, but he just didn’t want to be there. It felt too open, too close to everyone else and right now that was his main issue.

Daryl thanks them of course, tries to act grateful and everything, but there’s no words to explain how he feels, so instead he doesn’t bother and just smiles to them all. Everyone seems to take that well enough and he’s allowed to just carry on fretting peacefully to himself.

Dinnertime is an issue, if only because these past few days he really hasn’t felt hungry at all. Sure he takes a few bites from his plate, but everything’s so squished inside of him right now there’s barely any room for food. Merle keeps trying to feed him from his own plate, even once making aeroplane noises like he’d used to when he was little. That gets his brother a smack to the side but right now he’s not exactly as much of a threat as he used to be. Everyone tries to coax him to eat more, pointing out he needs his strength as do the kits but he just can’t force himself to eat right now.

Everyone is more interested in him than usual. Now the time is ticking down to the kits’ arrival it seems they all want to be near him and his alphas were acting so overprotective it was driving him mad, especially when right now he wanted them out of his personal space. He finds himself growling more and more each day, trying to just get everyone to back off, to stop Milton from asking questions and making sure the Woodbury folk stayed the hell away from him. They thought of them coming near him made him want to punch them, kick out and keep them away from him as much as possible.

Hershel kept trying to talk to him about a birthing plan, wanting to go through the details with him and find out what he wants. Honestly he doesn’t want to talk about it, especially not when he doesn’t feel comfortable in himself right now. There’s so many questions about who he wants there, if he wants his alphas, or his brothers, if he wants to feed the kits himself the first time or if he wants some of the betas there to help and fuck he just can’t deal with that right now. Then when there’s the topic of preparing and having him in the birthing cell and ready as soon as the contractions start he just can’t handle it and excuses himself.

“What’s the matter with you lately? You’ve been acting all weird.” Merle asks for the twentieth time when he’s not on the perch when his brother wakes up. As usual Daryl shrugs in answer, talking not exactly on his list of priorities right now. His brother is worried, he knows but he doesn’t know how to explain that he just doesn’t feel right anymore. So instead he walks away, heading down the halls of the prison and finding himself back down the familiar part of the tombs.

He hasn’t been to the closet in a while, but the second he opens the door and steps inside, he finds whatever the hell he’s been looking for. It’s dumb and he bites his lip at the feeling, but it feels better in here. He feels safer in here, without enough space for everyone else to get inside he could just relax and for the first time all week he feels able to breathe again. The closet isn’t anything special and he doesn’t know why he feels like this about it, but he just knows he doesn’t want the feeling to go away.

The rest of the day he avoids everyone else, and finds himself making several trips back and forth to the closet throughout the next few hours. He doesn’t know why he does it, but he ends up smuggling some supplies in there, a few bottles of water, a couple of his favourite snacks and the shelving unit works well enough as a supply station. It’s nice enough in here, but he knows the floor is damned uncomfortable to sit on let along sleep on and Daryl’s not sure when he made the decision to be sleeping in the closet, but he just knows he’s going to.

Blankets and sheets from their storage are easy enough to come by and he grabs as many towels as he can, mounting them up in the closet. The mattress is more difficult since he’s so big right now and the damned thing is so awkward so he ends up getting it to the end of the hall and leaving it there whilst he growled at it in annoyance. The closet feels nicer than anywhere else for him and he goes through the dimly lit space twice over. It’s perfect. He still isn’t sure what for, but he knows it’s perfect.

He scents it. The whole damned closet. He doesn’t know why he does it, but he does and soon enough the whole damned place smells of him and only him, and it’s nice and comfortable. It’s so dumb and he feels like a fledgling that’s only just learnt how to scent he’s doing it so much, covering everything he can.

The next few days he returns to the closet multiple times when he can, making sure that no one else knows where he’s going and keeping it his secret. If he didn’t know why the hell he was doing this then he didn’t need anyone else asking why. He takes the baby books he’s been rereading back to his base, and it helps add to that comfort that he feels in there. Going through the rest of the cell block whilst everyone else was busy with their chores he finds himself picking at other things, things he knew he didn’t need but a part of him wanted them.

One of Merle’s shirts, Maggie and Glenn’s blanket, Carol’s headscarf, one of Hershel’s handkerchiefs, Michonne’s vest, Lori’s vest top, Milton’s notepad, Carl’s jacket, Beth’s hair tie, all of them were taken and hidden in his closet. Then there were his alpha’s items, Andrea’s body warmer, Shane’s baseball cap and Rick’s old sheriff’s shirt. They get added to the blankets in a pile on the floor beneath the shelf he and Carl had hidden beneath, a treasure cove of items he felt like he needed.

He’s still worried about his instincts not kicking in, but being in the closet makes him feel safer and if Merle was getting more and more worried about him disappearing for a few hours a day, then his brother would have to deal with it. Right now everyone kept going on about how he needed to make himself feel comfortable and right now the closet was the best spot for that. Screw them if they didn’t get it.

They’re all so clingy over him right now, worrying and fretting over him, constantly prodding for him to go to the birthing cell and get used to it. When he spends a hour lying on the floor of the cell block to keep cool they think he’s fallen and all panic, making him snarl when they try to help him up. He doesn’t want to be touched, he doesn’t want them near him and even when it’s Hershel touching his bump and feeling the kits he just wants to curl away from him. It’s like it’s all too much right now and though he still loves his pack of course, he just wants to be away from them right now.

It’s why he finds himself trying to drag that damned mattress to the closet, huffing to himself and losing his breath with each step. Growling to it he keeps tugging on the thing, wondering how in god’s name he’s going to get it through the doorway and into the space he wants it in.

“What are you doing?”

Snarling loudly he turns to face Carl, letting the mattress slip to the floor as he leans against the wall, pressing a hand to his bump. The fledgling comes up to him, smiling brightly with laughter in his eyes. Daryl isn’t sure how to explain what in the hell he’s doing so he shrugs, knowing that of anyone at the moment he could deal with Carl easiest.

“Daryl? Are you okay?” Carl asks, stepping closer but keeping his distance when Daryl growls to him quietly. Sure it felt odd to growl to an alpha, but right now he felt on edge about his bump, about the kits and having anyone around them, even the alphas in his pack. “Want me to help you move this somewhere?”

Watching the kid he shrugs again, not willing to admit he needed the help or wanting to let Carl know what had been going on the past week. It’s a dumb thing to try and understand and he doesn’t want Carl laughing at him right now. Carl doesn’t look like he’s going to laugh, instead the kid moves to heft the mattress for him, nodding for Daryl to lead the way with a smile.

Well it wasn’t like he was going to be able to do it himself, not when he’s been feeling uncomfortable all day and he’s sore and aching more than usual. He leads the way to the closet and he supposes it’s all right for Carl to know, after all he and the kid had been here before and Carl had never laughed before. Still it’s different now, there’s all of his things there as well as all his supplies and he doesn’t want Carl to scold him for it.

“Cool, Daryl you’ve made a nest!” Carl wriggles the mattress through the door, following Daryl’s motions to get it where he wants it, in the corner against the wall and hidden beneath the shelf so he could curl up there. He shrugs in reply wondering what the heck the kid was on about. Carl rolls his eyes, tossing the pillows and blankets on top of the mattress and starting to make it more comfortable for him. “The last couple of weeks Hershel has been worrying that you weren’t showing any nesting instincts, it’s why they had the birthing cell set up for you. They were trying to get you to start, wanting you to nest, but we didn’t know you were making one of your own.”

He’s still not entirely sure what the hell the kid is on about, but if this was meant to be happening and he seemed pleased with it, then maybe his instincts were working. It had been a worry for him for a while, but maybe everything he’d been feeling was meant to be what he was feeling. “You got to keep it a secret.” He mumbles, fidgeting with his supplies and making sure they were all where he wanted them.

“But Daryl it’s a good thing.” The kid explains, kneeling to fluff the pillows and not mentioning the various other items scattered about the place. He knows Carl can see them all, but he figures maybe Hershel had told him that would happen as well.

“Don’t care.” He mumbles, chewing on his thumb and rubbing over the bump when he aches a little more than usual. “Don’t want anyone in here.” And he really doesn’t, not even his alphas and that made him feel awful because they were the sires to his kits but he just didn’t want them here. It wasn’t so bad with Carl, the kid was sweet enough and tries to help as much as he can.

“Yeah Hershel said you’d be like that. That’s cool, I won’t tell anyone, I haven’t before have I?” Carl points out, and Daryl has to admit that he’s right, he’s never told on him before and no one else ever mocked him, so they clearly didn’t know.

“I guess not.” Picking at the supplies he takes a sip of some water, hoping to ease the discomfort he was feeling today, and rubbing at his back.

“He said you’d probably want somewhere warm and dry, small and safe, somewhere you felt comfortable.”

“I like it here.” He agrees, sighing a little. This was probably the most he’d spoken in the past week, he’s been so unwilling to communicate with anyone. Being in his own space helped, surrounded by his own scent and the sense of security is wonderful.

The kid stands up, looking eager and excited, bounding on his feet and acting more like a kid than the adult he was growing into. “Can I help? I mean is there anything else you need that you can’t get?”

Chewing on his lower lip he feels bad for asking, but if Hershel said this was natural and instinct, then surely they wouldn’t get mad at him for wanting it? It was for him anyway. “I kind of want that box.” Was that selfish? Maybe they’d see it as rubbing it in their faces that the birthing cell wasn’t good enough for him and that he wanted it all here. He didn’t want to upset anyone, but he knew it would be perfect for the kits.

Carl grins, and damn the kid’s carefree attitude was making this easier to deal with. “The one we made up for the kits? That’s cool, I can get it.” And he’s just so eager to help and be a part of all this even though Daryl himself was anything but excited right now. He was more a mix of nerves and insecurity.

Still he smiles to Carl as best he can, flicking at the damned sheriff’s hat as he bounced up and down. “You’ve got to be sneaky, remember no one else can know.” Because right now he really didn’t want anyone else to see him like this, or to be near him and the kits.

“I got it Daryl. No worries.” Carl runs off, more than happy to help and find what he wants. Glancing around his space he finds himself feeling more at ease, running his hands over the shelves filled with the items he’s taken, and enjoying the scent of his pack being around him. It helps with the unease that sits in his stomach and the tightness in his sides and back don’t feel so bad. Growling a little in annoyance he rubs at his bump, feeling those stupid Braxton Hicks contractions start up again.

It’s annoying and they get more painful each time they come on, but Hershel had said it was fine, it was just his body getting ready for what was going to happen. Still just because it was all natural didn’t mean it didn’t hurt like heck. Easing himself to the mattress hidden beneath the shelf he tries to get as comfortable as possible, making sure the poncho was covering him as much as possible. The amount of cushions make it more homely now and keeping the blankets and various items close make him feel better.

The next stripe of pain makes him wince a little, getting him grumbling and settling onto his side with a cushion pressed between his legs like Hershel had told him to. It makes it a little easier to cope with, but he still finds himself glad when Carl returns; a welcome distraction from the pain. When he sees the box he lets out a sigh of relief, pointing for Carl to set it beside him on the floor and allowing him to double check the cushions and soft baby blankets were all still in place. “Good job.”

The praise makes Carl grin for a moment, until he sees Daryl wince again with a small groan. “Daryl are you sure you’re okay?”

He nods, rubbing at the bump and feeling the way his muscles all tense and shiver with another contraction, making him bite his lip a little to try and keep it quiet. It doesn’t work and Carl scoots a little closer, crouching by him and it takes everything Daryl has not to growl when he gets so near. Everything inside of him wants to be alone but he knows that’s not going to happen, not when Carl is looking as worried as he is. “I’m fine Carl, your baby brothers and sisters are just getting fidgety is all.”

Carl doesn’t look like he believes him and sits on the floor by him, giving him those sideways looks of worry the rest of the pack keep giving him lately. “Are you sure? I can go and get someone if you like? I can get Merle if you want?”

“No!” He growls, squeezing his eyes shut when another wave of discomfort washes over him, causing Carl to scoot a little closer. “I don’t want him here. I don’t want him anywhere near me right now.”

“How come?”

“Because this is everything he never wanted for me.” Daryl explains, feeling uncomfortable and grouchy, trying to breath easy as he lays back against the cushions, trying to stop the aches in his back. “He never wanted me to be an omega and this is like the most omega I’ve ever felt in my life. Can’t get much more omega than pregnant with a litter and ready to burst.” He snorts, feeling pathetic and on edge as well as uncomfortable. “Wouldn’t be surprised if he just up and left soon enough.” It wasn’t like he hadn’t done it before. Walked out the door when he didn’t want to deal with the shit around them and had more important things to do.

“He won’t.” And it’s absurd how sure of it all Carl sounds, as if the kid just knew what was going to happen, just like he still thought he knew exactly how many kits there were going to be. “He’s stayed here this whole time Daryl, he’s not going to leave when he’s just about to become an uncle.”

Daryl hadn’t thought of it like that before, sometimes he forgot the kits were going to be a part of everyone’s lives instead of just his. Merle would be an uncle, he was going to be a parent and the kits were going to be a huge part of the whole pack. “I guess.” Sighing a little he rests for a few moments, closing his eyes and just breathing in the scent of himself and the pack around him. There’s more uncomfortable pangs down his sides and he doesn’t know if he wants to try and sleep or get up and pace around to keep himself busy.

“So you’re not coming for dinner then?” Carl hops up, Daryl’s not sure how long he’s been dozing lightly, but it must have been a while if it’s nearing dinner time. Shaking his head he curls a little tighter around his cushions, grumbling about not being hungry and feeling another contraction come over him. He doesn’t want to face them all right now when he’s feeling like this and Carl seems to get that. “Okay cool, I’ll come visit you later alright? You can tell me if there’s anything else you want me to get for you.”

He grunts in acknowledgement and stays where he is, buried in blankets and pillows, safe in his nest and feeling more comfortable than he had in a long time despite the niggling pain in his abdomen and the worry in the back of his mind. It’s a weird mish mash of emotions and feelings, but it’s better than being out there and surrounded by everyone else. Somehow he manages to get a few more hours of fitful sleep in until he’s awoken by a painful contraction. Gasping a little he growls into his pillow, clutching at his bump and hoping it would stop soon. When it does eventually pass he’s left trembling a little, struggling to his feet and unable to sit still.

Of course it’s difficult moving with all the extra weight, but he’s gotten a system in place, shuffling along and holding himself against the wall in case he needs a rest for a moment. The contractions are more painful than before but walking helps ease the pain a little, it makes the aches ease through his back and he can focus on everything else. Everything is still in place and there’s a whole pile of clean and fresh towels by the door, clearly Carl had popped by when he’d been napping and left them there for him. It was helpful, and Hershel had made it clear that birth was nowhere near as clean and lovely as it was on the TV, so he knew they’d be needed eventually.

Another contraction makes his breath catch in his throat, it’s tight and uncomfortable, seizing across his abdomen for a moment until he can breathe again. A knock on the door makes him freeze in place, panic creeping up his throat again as he shuffles closer. Carl wouldn’t knock, he’s a kid, they just barge in whenever they like, and he’s so surrounded by the scents of the pack that he can’t tell who’s outside.

“Daryl? Hey come on little brother, Carl said you were hiding out in here, let me in.”

Hissing through his teeth he growls a little, annoyed at Carl for sharing his hiding spot and especially to the one person he really didn’t want near him right now. Still he knows Merle and no is never an answer he’ll listen to so he opens the door and leans on the doorframe, looking up to his brother with tired eyes. “What do you want Merle?” He asks, wincing at another bolt of pain that’s anything but fucking false like Hershel said.

“Kid said you weren’t feeling too great, I came to see how you were feeling.” And he can see the worry in Merle’s eyes, the way he looks over him when he places a hand on his bump and holds onto the doorframe a little tighter. “And something about you scared I was gonna leave you.”

He snarls at that, fucking kid sharing all his worries with the rest of the world. Daryl hates having his trust pushed like that and right now he didn’t want to have to explain his worries and anxiety with Merle. Not when his big brother looked a mix of worried and pissed right now, and not when his contraction were getting harder and harder to ignore. “I ain’t got time for this, don’t wanna do this right now Merle.”

“Oh yeah and why’s that exactly?” Merle pushes, and before he can stop him Daryl is backed up into the closet, his brother leaning over him and making him feel more on edge with each contraction that washes over him.

“Cause I think the kits are coming.” He snarls, shoving his brother back a little, wanting him out of his space as the pain gets more intense. As soon as he can breathe properly again he glares at Merle, ignoring the panic he sees in his brother’s eyes. “Dumbass.”


	14. The Arrival

“Daryl can I come in?”

“No.”

“Have your waters broken yet?”

“No.”

“Are you going to unlock the door?”

“No.”

“Jesus Christ it’s like you’re five again, open the door baby brother!”

“No!”

At least Hershel was nice when he was asking questions through the door, Merle was just being a jerk as usual. He didn’t want any of them here and as soon as his brother had run off to get Hershel he’d bolted the door to the closet and made sure they weren’t going to get into his space. It was making him feel even more uncomfortable, and the contractions were only getting harder to cope with as well. He just wanted them to leave him alone and let him deal with this himself.

“Daryl if you’re in labour you’re going to need some help son.” Hershel sighs, not sounding angry but just sounding exasperated with his refusal to let them in. It wasn’t his fault, right now he didn’t want anyone in here, they’d start touching and poking and prodding and right now he didn’t want that. Right now he felt too uncomfortable to let them near him, they didn’t need to see him like this.

“No I won’t.” He whines in reply, knowing he sounds like a petulant fledgling and not caring.

He’s read all the books, labour didn’t seem so bad and he’d dealt with pain before, pain was nothing. Honestly the contractions were painful, but really what were a few cramps? Heck he had a stretched out scar on his side from being stabbed with his own arrow, if he could deal with that then this would be a piece of cake.

“Daryl would you listen to the man?” Merle snaps and Daryl knows his brother is getting annoyed at being left out, being locked away from him when he’s in pain like this. But really what could Merle do? Nothing, his brother would only make it worse. “He knows way more about this shit than you.”

“It’s your first litter son, and since it’s a big one your labour isn’t going to be as long.” Hershel reminds him, making his mind go back over everything he’d been reading in those books. Rubbing over the bump he can feel the kits responding to the contractions, how they tense and push themselves back against his muscles and the pain really was starting to jack up. “You could give birth at any time and you’re going to need help for that.”

Shaking his head Daryl knows they can’t see him, but it makes him feel better as he leans back against the door, trying to breathe through the pain running over him. “I can do it myself.” He growls, clutching at the bump, glancing around the closet and hating the thought of anyone else in here with him.

“I know your instincts are telling you to keep everyone away right now and I can promise you everyone else will be kept away, but Daryl, you cannot cope with a whole litter by yourself.” Hershel’s voice is calm and soothing, the kind of tone the old alpha used when treating one of them as a patient, and when he’d been giving Daryl checkups. It helps him calm a little, but the thought of having someone else’s hands on him felt like too much to deal with right now. Biting on his lower lip when the contraction ends he slumps a little, fighting between instinct and the knowledge that the other man was right.

When Merle talks again even he sounds calmer, agreeing with Hershel and sounding more like the brother who’d helped him after he’d presented than the one he was used to nowadays. “He’s right baby brother. You’re gonna need all the help you can get if something goes wrong.” And really that’s the big fear isn’t it? Something going wrong.

“Ain’t nothing gonna go wrong.” He growls, feeling the worry of something awful happening creeping up on him again, everything he’d been discussing with Shane popping back into his head. The pack was depending on him right now and he didn’t want to let them down. “I can do it.”

“Daryl, listen to me. You’re going to be in a lot of pain, there are going to be newborns to deal with, umbilical cords to cut, they might need help breathing, or one might need help being born, you cannot do it by yourself.”

Or one could be stillborn, or maybe he wouldn’t be good enough to keep them alive more than a few minutes and they’d come back in his arms. He couldn’t put them down, he knew he wouldn’t be able to do it, and how would he be able to live with himself after that? How would the pack even be able to look at him afterwards? “I just…I don’t want everyone here.” Wiping at his eyes he tries to stop the thoughts from overwhelming him, he wants to remain strong through this whole process, but right now there’s so much panic and stress it was getting harder and harder to stop from crying.

“Don’t get upset baby brother. It’s alright to need some help. I swear it only needs to be me and Hershel, that’s it. Ain’t no one else gonna come near here, I’d chase off your alphas if they even thought about it.” The thought of Merle doing such a thing is sweet really, but as much as he loves his brother he doesn’t know if Merle could deal with this side of him. It was so different from everything they’d ever planned for him and he didn’t want to rub it in Merle’s face that he’d failed.

Taking a shaky breath he knows they’re not going to give in and really this was just the polite way of giving him some semblance of a choice even if they all knew they’d break down the door if they needed to. He wasn’t going to be left alone through all this, and he knew really it was for the good of the kits. “Just Hershel?” He manages through a hiccup, pressed against the door and shuddering through more pain.

Hershel sighs once more and there’s a pause before he speaks again, his words full of apology and quiet reasoning. “Son I know your brother only has one hand, but I’m gonna need some help in there since I can’t move so fast anymore. Would you rather have Merle or Carol helping?”

It’s not even a question really. Merle was his brother who’d practically raised him, he’d taught him everything he knew and then some, kept him alive and despite his fears he hadn’t run off yet. Carol was a mother, but he didn’t know if he could meet her eyes again if she saw him like this. “Merle.” He mutters, chewing on his thumb, figuring that if nothing else, Merle had seen him bloody and screaming in pain before now.

“You need to open the door then little brother.”

His breath catches in his throat as he leans his forehead against the door, taking a moment to enjoy his last few moments of privacy before they came in. Feeling all the worries knot together with a contraction to make him hiss in pain before scrubbing at the tears on his cheeks. “You ain’t…you ain’t allowed to laugh Merle! Or say anything bout all of this.” He threatens, even if he’s never beaten Merle in a fight and was in no condition to do so anytime soon.

There’s a small chuckle from the other side of the door, and though he can’t see he knows Merle is smirking at his antics. “I swear I’ll be good and helpful, won’t say a bad word to you at all. You just gotta unlock the door for us.”

It takes him a while longer to actually gather the nerve to unlock the door, but the other two are patient with him, giving him the few moments to stop the traitorous tears and get some sort of control over himself. When he does finally unlock the door he doesn’t open it, instead Daryl makes his way back over to his nest, easing himself beneath the shelf onto his mattress, facing the wall and not wanting to see their faces as they took in his mini sanctuary. The door opens and he can hear the unmistakeable sound of Hershel making his way in on his crutches and the following footsteps of Merle.

He awaits their criticism, chewing on his thumbnail as he listens to them pace around the small area, thankfully closing the door behind themselves and giving at least some semblance of privacy. Another contraction washes over him and he growls at the pain, letting the pair of them know he didn’t need any help from them right now and they needed to stay back. They take the hint and leave him to it, Hershel hobbling himself nearer to where he lays when he speaks.

“Can you see why I wanted to make up a birthing plan for you?” Daryl can hear the smile in the old alpha’s voice, and he knows he’s trying to make this easier for him even if he knew for sure they could tell how tense he was. “Would have made this whole thing a lot easier if we’d had a plan, but I can see you took things into your own hands when it came to nesting.”

Shrugging a little he remains pressed to his mass of pillows, wincing as the pain rolls on before subsiding. He feels a mix between tired and unwell, uncomfortable and wanting to both stay lying down and get up and move around to ease the discomfort. “Didn’t know what I was doing, it just sort of…felt right when it happened.” He mumbles, shrinking in on himself a little when he can hear Hershel using the shelves to lower himself to the floor.

“That’s fine, that’s how it’s supposed to feel.” Hershel reassures him, not reaching out to touch but just sitting on the floor beside him, leaning against the wall and speaking to him calmly. “Anything you feel the urge to do, just do it. Your body will let you know what to do through this whole thing, so don’t fight it, go with it, but do let us know when you feel the urge to start pushing.” The thought makes him flush, tucking his legs up as much as possible and chewing on his nail harder in the silence between them all for a few moments.

“Could you have picked a more cramped spot for your nest?” Merle snorts, pacing back and forth around the small space, running his hand over shelving, the walls and marking over Daryl’s own scent unconsciously.

It’s enough to make him want to punch his brother, and if he had any chance of moving with some dignity he would do just that. “Merle you swore to be good.” He snarls, clenching his teeth together when the next contraction comes sooner than he expected, washing over him and making him growl in pain.

“Actually this is pretty much the perfect spot for it. It’s near enough to the generators and boiler room to be warm for the kits, it’s small enough for you to defend, there’s enough space for supplies and clearly you felt safe enough to scent it.” Hershel speaks over his contraction, giving his mind something to focus on besides the pain and easing him through it whilst Merle tucks his one hand into his pocket, clearly noticing what he’d been doing.

“Just going to be a bit cramped is all I’m saying.” Merle replies with a lopsided shrug, scuffing his shoes on the floor and taking in all the items Daryl had brought in for himself.

“Then piss off and there’ll be more room.” Daryl snarls again, his temper flaring with the pain, his instincts calling for him to fix the taint of his brother’s scent and wanting everything to be perfect for the kits. This was his space, not Merle’s, and he wanted it his way.

“Now don’t go working your brother up Merle, he needs to stay as calm as possible trust me there’s going to be enough stress as it is.” Hershel soothes, clearly aware of how much this was affecting him when Daryl tries to roll enough to get to his feet. “If you want to be a help then fetch me a chair whilst I check your brother over.” It’s not a suggestion but the pack had learned Merle was more likely to follow orders if they didn’t sound like them, his brother was always one to rebel if he could.

Merle grumbles but does as he’s told, going to get Hershel a chair and leaving the two of them in the closet together. As soon as he’s in the clear Daryl slowly gets to his feet, pushing himself up and waddling his way over to the shelving unit, scenting at the place his brother had ruined and huffing to himself about it. He doesn’t know how this is all going to work with Merle here, and honestly he’s not sure if he’s more worried about the kits or his brother. “He’s just going to be a pain in the ass.” He tells Hershel, glancing over to see the alpha rummaging through his kit bag and placing out various items on a clean sheet.

“He is your brother, I figured you had to get it from somewhere.” Hershel looks up to him and smiles, and Daryl takes the moment to just breathe, smiling in return at the small joke and rocking on his feet to ease the ache in his back. He knew they were just doing their best to help him, but he couldn’t help the want to be on his own right now, even if he knew it made more sense to have Hershel here to help. “Now tell me how you’re feeling.”

“Sore.” He shrugs, unsure exactly what would be the best way to describe it all right now. “Tight I guess, like everything kind of doesn’t fit anymore? The contractions fucking hurt like a bitch.” Running a hand over his bump he paces back and forth a little, leaning on the shelving when another contraction forces him to pause in his movements. “They’re getting worse.” He hisses through his teeth, unable to meet Hershel’s eyes until he’s able to breathe again.

The old alpha is still smiling easily, calm and not at all panicked about this whole thing even though Daryl knows he’s never actually helped an omega birth a litter before. It helps him feel a bit better, using the alpha’s strength in place of his own and hanging on to it for a moment, needing the confidence he was showing when he himself felt like a bundle of nerves. It all seems to be happening so fast and even though he’s had months to get used to the thought of going through this, it feels as if everything he’s been reading just isn’t enough and he’s lost and on his own. Having Hershel here was helping ease that worry, and though a part of him still wanted to be on his own, at least he had someone here who could make him feel better.

“Hershel…” He bites on his lower lip, rubbing over the bump and meeting the alpha’s eyes slowly. “I’m scared.” He admits, hating the way his voice catches on the words and leaves him chewing on his thumb, gripping at the poncho tightly and wanting to hide in his nest even more so than before.

He knows Hershel can’t stand up to give him comfort and right now he’s still adverse to touch, so he stays where he is, leaning on the shelving unit and watching the floor. “That’s okay son.” Hershel nods, giving him another brief smile. “It’s a scary thing to go through, but you need to know we’re going to do everything we can to make it go as smoothly as possible. Anything you want? Let us know and we’ll get it for you.”

Daryl nods a little, pacing back and forth at the unease in his back flaring up again. Right now he can’t think of anything he wants, eating is completely out of the question, drinking doesn’t appeal to him right now and he doesn’t think he could concentrate on reading or whatever. He just knows he doesn’t want anyone else here, not even the alphas and Hershel had sworn to that, it would just be the three of them when Merle got back and that was the best he could hope for. It’s uncomfortable but glancing at the baby box Carl had gotten him for the kits, he knows it’ll be worth all the stress in the end, if he could just get through it.

A sudden feeling of wetness between his legs makes him gasp and blush, glancing down and wondering if he’d somehow managed to piss himself through all of this. It’s an awful feeling, shame washes over him as he clutches at his poncho, feeling his pants sticking to his thighs and leaving him trying to breathe through shaking lips. As if this whole thing wasn’t humiliating enough now here he was in a puddle in a closet and on the verge of crying about it.

“It’s okay, your water just broke. That’s fine, there’s no way you could have known it was going to happen.” Hershel soothes, and Daryl still can’t fucking look at him, look busy biting on his own lip to stop the sobs from coming. If that was enough to get him in tears then how was he going to cope with the rest of this? He was going to fuck it up, he just knew it, everything was going to go wrong and he was going to screw this all up. The kits were probably going to fucking die and it was all because he was as bad at being an omega as he was at being an alpha.

Burying his face in his hands Daryl almost misses the door opening and curls in on himself tighter at Merle’s statement of victory in retrieving a chair for Hershel and himself. He can’t do this right now and having Merle here to watch him be so pathetic was just making things worse, making him sob and keen loudly into the small space of the closet. It’s possibly the worst moment of his life and having an audience see it all was making it all the more difficult to get through each second.

Hands wrap around his back, gently easing him against Merle’s chest and he clings there despite how much he wanted his brother gone. Right now he doesn’t feel able to cope and it’s reminiscent of when he was younger, clinging to his big brother for answers in his times of need and sobbing into his shirt. Fingers curl into his hair as Merle’s stump rubs against his lower back, trying to ease the pain there and give him all the strength he needs to get through this. “It’s alright baby brother, I’ve got you.”

“I can’t do this Merle, I can’t, I know I’m going to fuck it up.” He sobs, trying to bury himself closer, ashamed of himself for acting this way in front of Hershel, but also uncaring when he felt so lost in himself. How could he possibly sink any lower than this in anyone’s eyes? A stupid omega unable to do the one thing he was put on this earth for, the pack would be better off without him here screwing things up. “I don’t wanna fuck this up.”

“You ain’t gonna fuck it up.” Merle croons in his ear, swaying with him a little and uncaring of the wetness they’re both standing in. Sometimes Daryl forgets how good a brother Merle could be when he had to, when all of Daryl’s dignity had gone and he was just clinging to Merle for some sort of hope in the darkness. “You’re too strong to fuck it up. You’ve gotten this far ain’t ya?” Merle pulls him back enough to meet his eyes, looking at him with such pride that it makes Daryl sob again even as he nods. “That’s right, and you ain’t gonna give up now when the kits need you are you?”

Breathing shakily he knows it’s not even an option to give up. There was no escape button for him to press here if he didn’t want to continue, there was only one ending to this situation and he played a huge part in it even if he didn’t want to. There was no asking Merle to do this for him or backing out, it was something he had to do and fuck now he is glad his brother is here. Trying to calm his breathing he can feel the kits tremble as another contraction comes over him, leaving him cringing in pain and clinging to Merle with a pathetic mewl. It feels awful, squeezing at his insides in ways he hates and making him feel sick and shaky all at once. When it’s over Merle moves to wipe away his tears, pressing a kiss to his forehead before meeting it with his own, pressing them close together and just being there for him when he needs someone to lean on.

“Good boy. Now let’s get you out of these pants and in your nest so Hershel can feel what those kits are doing.” His brother helps him ease his way out of the pants, and even if the thought of wearing nothing else but a poncho in front of his brother and Hershel makes him want to bolt, there’s no point in putting anything else on, it’ll only get ruined. Merle helps him ease him way back into his nest, kneeling on the floor besides where Hershel has set up his chair and just staying there with him.

It’s awkward and Daryl tugs an old towel across his lap when Hershel leans down to press his hands over the bump, feeling the shifts in the kit’s positions and nodding as he shifts his fingers over him. The mattress is covered in sheets and towels on the half that’s going to get messy, whereas the end he slumps on is scattered with cushions and the items he’d stolen from the pack. Burying himself deeper into them he growls through another contraction, finding Merle hushing him as Hershel continues prodding. “Daryl I need you on your back, I need to see how dilated you are.”

He shivers, all shame creeping back up on him and even the pain of the contractions and discomfort he’s feeling isn’t enough to get his mind off exactly where Hershel is inspecting next. Merle has the decency to not open his fucking mouth as Hershel does what needs to be done, making Daryl wince and bite on his lower lip as he glares at the underside of the shelf.

As soon as Hershel is done and sitting back he’s got his legs shut as much as he can, yanking a sheet over his legs and curling up a bit tighter. “It’ll be a while yet by the looks of things, another couple of hours at least until you’re ready.” That makes him huff, all thoughts of getting this over and done with flying from his head. What the hell was he supposed to do for a few hours to keep himself busy?

Merle and Hershel take their time setting up things around him, gathering towels, sheets, hot water, sterilising the few instruments Hershel had with him they might need and making sure everything was ready. The hours pass and it turns out Daryl spends most of that time growling in anger and yelling in pain. Merle helps him to the bathroom when he needs it, they let him pace when he wants to and leave him to himself in his nest when he requests it of them. Daryl doesn’t know why his instincts wanted him to do this by himself, but fuck he’s glad he didn’t listen.

The hours pass, the night draws on until Hershel and Merle are yawning and Daryl is glad he managed a nap earlier in the day. Each contraction feels worse than the last, making him snarl and writhe in his nest, uncomfortable, in pain and feeling more and more nervous with each passing minute. At one point Merle chases Carl out of the hallway outside, calling for him to back the hell off and leave them alone. It leaves Hershel rolling his eyes at curious fledglings and noting that it’s likely the pack wasn’t going to be sleeping anytime soon either. Everyone was awake and waiting for him, ready to be there if needed or to stay away like he wished.

Daryl really cannot get comfortable anymore. Each position is as bad as the last, making him wince and whine, burying himself into the pillows and then tossing them aside, his contractions burning at him until he’s on his side and panting loudly. Currently Merle and Hershel are in a rather intense game of cards, Merle having produced the damned things when it became clear they were going to be waiting a while. Honestly Daryl wondered how his brother was always prepared for everything.

Biting on his lower lip he holds back a whine, the pain becoming more and more unbearable with each passing minute, pressing his feet against the wall and digging in his heels just to have a way to let out the pain. The pressure all feels too much suddenly and he kicks off the sheets over him, clutching at the bump and though he’d been confused at everyone telling him he’d know what to do, it seems he really does know. Everything inside of himself is telling him it’s time and who was he to deny it when his body seems to know what to do?

“I…I have to push.” He manages to grunt out, fingers digging into the sheets and barely able to wait for Merle to help Hershel into position. All shame has gone, he’s in too much pain to fucking care if the whole pack walked in right now and saw him like this, he just knows he has to push and fuck the rest of the world right now. Merle is grabbing at his hand and he clings on, digging in his nails to his brother’s skin and barely able to hear Merle’s encouragement through the pounding in his head.

It hurts. It hurts more than anything else in his fucking life has ever hurt and he truly believes his body is going to be broken after this. Daryl can’t help but yell, screaming to the world with his eyes squeezed shut, whining and doing everything his body is telling him to do and wondering why in the hell it wanted him to go through this much pain. Hershel and Merle are talking to him but he can’t hear, he can’t focus on anything but the pain and wanting it to stop, the promise in his mind that it’s just a little more, one more push and it’ll be over for good.

Everything is a moment of pure blinding pain and then he’s panting, collapsed back against the pillows and unable to catch his breath in the silence. Merle’s hand is still in his but his brother is trembling, Hershel is moving and doing something and for a moment his mind is completely blank as to what is happening.

Then he hears a cry and it hits him.

The sounds of the world catch up to him and break through his bubble of trying to breathe and Merle is helping him sit up, an arm around his shoulders despite his trembling and all he can think to do is cry. Hershel has a baby in his hands, tiny, bawling their lungs out, covered in blood and various other disgusting looking fluids but it’s the most beautiful sight Daryl’s ever laid his eyes on. “It’s a girl.” Hershel tells him and Daryl couldn’t care less; all he knows is she’s his and she’s perfect.

She’s quickly cleaned as best as she can be, Hershel rubbing at her chest and clipping the cord as best he can with some tightly tied string, she doesn’t stop hollering once through the whole thing. The alpha wraps her in a soft towel and then a pink blanket over the top, tucking in her wriggling arms and being all squished seems to calm her down a little. Daryl doesn’t realised he’s reached out for her until Hershel is placing the tiny bundle in his arms, moving his hands to cup her head and let her rest against his chest safely.

Daryl can’t think, every word he’s ever learnt is not enough to explain what he’s feeling right now as he looks down at her, listening to her snuffle and whine against him. She’s perfect, the most perfect thing he’s ever seen in the world. Her tiny face is smoothed out from where it’s been pinched and she’s quiet, tiny hands wriggling free from the blanket to curl into little fists next to her face. Everything he’d been scared of is nothing anymore, all the thoughts of giving them up abandon him and he doesn’t think he ever wants to stop staring at her. The baby is quiet, just lying in his arms as if this is the only place she ever wants to be, curled in her blanket and looking so fragile. She needs him and he’ll be damned if he’s going to leave her.

They let him sit with her for a while, Hershel cleaning up some of the mess between his legs and keeping an eye on his progress as he just watches her. All the pain is still coursing through him, one big ache from his belly button down, but she lets him forget about it for a while, just so small and perfect in his arms. She has no scent at all, she’s plain and blank, unclaimed and alone and he never ever wants her to feel like that in her life. Gently as he can, carefully and making sure not to smother her, he rubs his face against hers, marking her all over and smiling when she gives a tiny whimper at the movement. She’s his girl and no one was going to question it.

He doesn’t know how long he sits with her, just breathing in their shared scent and enjoying her tiny, almost unnoticeable weight in his hands, but when he feels another contraction he groans at the feeling, holding her tighter. For a few moments he’d hoped it was over, but really he’d just begun and now he had to go through it all over again. “Hershel…” He warns, feeling that urge to push taking over him again and the old alpha nods at him, still calm as anything as he gets back into position.

Merle scoops her from his arms, cradling her against his own chest and Daryl swears he can see tears on his cheeks. He doesn’t want her far away from him, but then another urge to push washes over him and he’s digging his fingers into Merle’s shoulder, and gritting his teeth through the pain. He’s already aching so much it just brings it all to the front of his senses and he’s panting, struggling and pushing with another loud yell into the small space. It doesn’t take as much as the first time and when he can feel it’s over he’s eagerly reaching out again.

“Another girl.” Hershel is smiling, cleaning her off roughly but helping her breathe before wrapping her up, letting her cry and scream to the world about her arrival and passing her up to Daryl. He holds her tightly like he had with his first girl, and within moments he’s scenting her, listening to her cries diminish as he presses close and gazes down at her in adoration. She’s small too and though he knew litters were always smaller he hadn’t realised just how small they would be.

Still clutching at Merle’s shoulder he yanks his brother nearer, letting him see both of his girls at the same time as they snuffled and wriggled about in the world. He’s amazed that two such perfect things were made by him; that he’d managed to somehow bring them into this world and that they were actually here. His two girls were adorable, both of them as perfect as each other and he knows he hasn’t stopped crying since he’d first held them. Merle drags the baby box nearer, right beside them both before placing both of the girls inside, letting them press against each other and doze there.

Daryl wishes he could just keep holding them, but yet again there’s the urge to push. It creeps up on him quicker this time and he can barely breathe before he’s grabbing at Merle’s shirt, growling loudly and pushing again. Hershel eases him through it, encouraging him and talking him through it. “Keep going, this one’s coming out breech.” Fuck. Merle rubs at his back, muttering in his ear and with one last painful push he’s leaning on his brother, blinking away the pain to try and see if his next kit was okay. At the sound of a cry he breathes a little easier, and Hershel is smiling as he cleans the next one. “Your little boy knows how to make an entrance.”

A boy. He had a son. Choking on his tears he cradles him close, scenting him with a sob and running his shaking fingers over his tiny cheeks. His kit mewls to him, squirming against his chest, nuzzling closer before quieting, and his precious son just relaxing against him with a whine. The blue blanket is huge around him, keeping him swaddled tightly and warm in this scary new world and Daryl never knew he could automatically love something so much. He’s a little smaller than his sisters, but he doesn’t seem to be in distress, he seems perfectly happy to just press against his chest and burble to himself.

Hershel’s hands press over his still swollen belly, pressing gently and feeling his way around Daryl’s sore body. “I don’t think we’re done yet.” The old alpha mutters and Daryl nods, already able to feel this wasn’t over yet. His body was still twinging with the want to push again and with a tired groan he hands his son to Merle, watching as his brother carefully places him in order besides his other kits. “Daryl are you ready?”

“Could do with a breather.” He tries to smile through a wince, grimacing as his lower body tingles with pain at having to push yet again. Unfortunately kit number four wasn’t in the mood to wait and Merle is there helping him sit up when he doesn’t think he can do this for much longer. It’s getting easier with each kit, but his body is getting so tired and aching all over, he’s shivering and wants this to be over so he could spend time with his litter. He pushes, strains himself through the pain and sighs with relief when Hershel is cleaning off the next kit for him. “Girl?” He murmurs, taking the third pink bundle and not complaining when Merle uses his good arm to help support her when his shaking fingers can’t do it very well.

“Another girl.” Merle agrees, helping Daryl lift her to his face to scent her as well. He knows he’s exhausted but he still smiles to her, unable to stop from being in awe at just how adorable she is. She’s even smaller, her little fingers scrunching into a fist and she mouths at it lightly. “She’s already got your habit.” His brother smirks and Daryl gives a tired smile in agreement, not quite able to laugh when he’s feeling so exhausted.

When he feels another urge to push he moans lightly, unable to believe he’s not finished yet. “Fuck.” He groans, leaning back against the pillows as Merle takes the kit from him, nestling her beside her siblings and leaving him to whine in pain. Hershel had said he was expecting a big litter but right now he didn’t know how much more he could take and he gives a whimper as he pushes again.

He grunts and groans through it, swearing at the underside of the shelf and hissing as he prays for it to all be over soon. Hershel coaxes him through it, easing him through the lingering pain and taking care of everything for him whilst Merle sticks by his side. He snarls at the final push, falling back against the pillows when it’s finally over and he can breathe, glancing down to Hershel and letting out a relieved sigh when his next kit mewls and cries out to him. Daryl aches all over but fuck it feels wonderful to get to hold his next kit with Merle.

It’s a boy, the smallest of them litter and wriggling in their grip as if he was trying to escape. He cries loudly, mewling as Daryl scents him and hollering when Merle nestles him besides the other kits. Leaning back on the pillows Daryl can’t stop from looking over them all, reaching out a shaking hand to rest on the edge of the box, watching as they all pressed against each other for warmth and mewled lightly. There’s no more urge to push and he’s so grateful for that, he didn’t think he could deal with a bigger litter than five kits and Hershel’s voice is calm as he instructs him through the afterbirth. It’s disgusting but doesn’t take much effort, leaving him breathing heavily, curled about the pillows and gazing at his kits.

Hershel helps clean him up as best he can and really Daryl is far too tired and shaky to even think of helping. Everything beneath his navel feels like nothing more than one solid ache so he just lets Hershel remove all the soiled sheets and towels before replacing them with new ones. A gentle hand rests on his knee before Hershel tugs some sheets over him, tucking them around him firmly with a proud smile. “Thank you.” Daryl manages to mumble, barely able to look away from the kits for more than a second.

“No need to thank me, you did all the hard work.” Hershel keeps his voice low, not wanting to disturb the dozing kits when they were slowly beginning to settle. “Why don’t you get some rest? They’re going to need their first feed soon enough and that’ll take it out of you.”

Biting on his lower lip Daryl finds himself shuffling closer to the box, reaching a hand in to run over the five bundles in there and feel their warmth and listen to their tiny breaths of air. He doesn’t know how to explain that he doesn’t want to leave them, even if he feels like he could sleep for a week, he doesn’t want to let them out of his sight for a moment. Merle’s hand finds its way to his head, running thorough his sweaty hair and combing it from his face gently. “No worries baby brother, they’re staying right there for you. I ain’t going to let no one in and we’ll stay here for you and the kits.” He reassures, able to read his mind as always and know what he needs. “No one else is going to touch them, I swear but you need to get a little rest at least.”

“You probably won’t get more than an hour, if that.” Hershel adds, easing himself up from the floor and washing his hands off in the pink tinged basin of water. “The kits will wake you if they need you and I swear we won’t do anything unless we wake you and ask first. Merle’s right, we won’t touch them unless necessary.”

It still feels wrong to leave them so soon after he’d just brought them into this world, but he can feel his strength sapping, his body needs to recover and he’s been under a lot of stress for a good few hours. The need to relax for just a moment is overwhelming and he gives a small nod in understanding, trusting them both since they’d helped him through everything else. Merle helps him fix his pillows so he can sit up enough to not put a lot of pressure on his lower half, and allowing him to see inside the box easily. Placing an arm inside the box he can feel five pairs of tiny feet press against him and for the moment that’s enough to allow him to close his eyes and get some rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And the winner of our little guess the litter competition was justkeepsmiling! Feel free to send me a message with your prompt and I shall hopefully get to it within the next week or so :3


	15. Naming

When he wakes up there’s a moment of brief panic, when his fingers move to his stomach and don’t find a bump there swollen and pushing against his touch. But then there’s a feeble cry beside him and it all comes rushing back to him in one huge ache beneath his navel. His body is completely wrecked from it all, he doesn’t think he could walk if someone paid him and right now he doesn’t even wish to move.

Opening his eyes Daryl finds his kits still in their box, a couple of them sleeping, some squirming and one beginning to whimper a little to him. Something inside of him jolts in terror of something being wrong and he reaches into the box to place a hand on her, to feel her still breathing and warm beneath his touch, alive and as well as could be expected.

“How’re you feeling?” Hershel asks and honestly Daryl had almost forgotten there was anyone else there since he was so absorbed with the kits. Merle is on the floor on the other side of the box, sprawled out with a cushion beneath his head and snoring away, clearly having thought to grab some sleep at the same time as him and leaving Hershel in charge of watching the kits.

“Sore.” He admits, turning his attention back to the box and letting his still shaking fingers stroke over his first born girl, running them over her tiny cheek and feeling the way she hollers to him. Merle grunts in annoyance beside them, knocking the box in his sleep and making Daryl growl in annoyance as the kits all squirm in response. “Like one big bruise.”

Hershel shuffles his way down from his seat, taking to kneeling beside him and the kits, a kind smile on his face whenever he looks over them and Daryl can see the pure joy in his eyes. He still feels overwhelmed by this whole thing, a part of him cannot believe that they’re really here, really alive and next to him inside of still kicking at his ribs like they had been yesterday. “It will take a while to get your strength back.” Hershel keeps his voice low, not wanting to disturb the kits any more than he has to and Daryl can see the way he restrains himself from reaching out to them, not wanting to touch without Daryl’s permission. “Are you well enough to feed them? I’d like to weigh them, get them dressed properly if you feel well enough to do that?”

Daryl can feel the worry in his chest loosen a little from where it’s been knotting up, Hershel understands him and seems to understand how he’s feeling right now. For so long they’ve been his problem and only he could really feel them all inside of him, kicking at his ribs and annoying the crap out of him. A part of him doesn’t want to share that with anyone else. Reasonably he knows the pack is going to be helping him out, five kits was a lot to deal with and this was his first litter so he’d need some help. But right now, they’re all his, he’d scented them and the protective instinct he’d been reading about seems to have flared up inside himself, leaving him unwilling to have anyone else touch them unless he allowed them to.

Swallowing back the panic of it all he nods, letting his fingers trail across all of his kits, feeling each of their heartbeats and watching them all squirm as one. “I want to at least try.” He admits, biting on his lower lip before leaning over the box to hit at Merle’s side. Hershel had been great, he really had and he knew the old alpha deserved to be allowed to help but he had a feeling he’d be needing more than one pair of hands and besides Merle had taught him everything else in life. “Get up dumbass, need your help.”

Merle snorts awake, bolting upright and scanning the area for danger as alphas often did upon awaking before turning to Daryl and peering down at the kits. “Everything okay?”

“We’re going to feed the kits, weight them and get them dressed but you’re the only one with two working legs right now.” Hershel explains, nodding to the supplies all stacked on the shelving units across the way and nudging for Merle to get up. It made Daryl smile when Merle immediately falls to the older alpha’s commands, never questioning Hershel even if they were technically the same rank in the pack.

It takes a moment for Daryl to manage to prop the pillows up behind himself a bit better, settling himself upright against them with a sigh. He knew he could trust the two men with him and besides both of them had already held his kits when he was unable to defend them, when he’d been at his weakest and they were all still here and breathing. Despite the instinct burning inside of himself to keep all threats away he knows there is no danger here and that if nothing else the other two men knew way more about babies than he did.

His brother comes back with everything Hershel had indicated, plus a bottle of water and some food for them all. Daryl’s glad he’d managed to hide away some supplies in here and takes a hefty gulp of the water, feeling better for it as Merle and Hershel arrange everything how they want them on the floor. He finds himself scanning the items, double checking everything for the possibility of danger and letting out a relieved sigh when there’s nothing there that catches his attention.

For what it’s worth Hershel and Merle don’t question his worrying, and he knows they’re fully aware of what his instincts are telling him right now. Thousands of years ago it was common for omegas to leave the pack entirely to give birth to a litter, hiding themselves away until the kits were a few weeks old and stronger, and that instinct hadn’t faded away through the generations of humans that followed. Now was different though and he knew he needed their help as much as the more omega side of himself feared it.

“Start with her.” Daryl indicates to his eldest kit, stroking over her tiny face again and smiling down at her. “Until they’ve got names I want them kept in order to make it easier to tell them apart.” Right now they’re all slightly different but oh so new he didn’t know if he’d get them mixed up and he didn’t intend for that to happen. Plus since they didn’t have their own scent yet they all smelt of him, making it even harder to distinguish them all from each other.

“Have you thought of any names?” Hershel asks, bringing the scales closer to himself and Daryl can feel the way he watches him when he leans down to pick up his first kit. Something inside of himself tenses a little, but Merle is there rubbing his arm and he can see everything just fine, so he lets out a breath a focuses on the conversation whilst Hershel weighs her carefully.

“Not really.” He admits, watching how carefully Hershel and his brother are with his kits, cradling their heads with their hands and making sure they were fully supported. “Honestly I hadn’t really thought beyond the birthing.” Merle can feel his tension and when he takes his eldest kit from Hershel, his brother scoots a little nearer, lying her on the towel covered blanket between his legs and making it easier for her to be near Daryl.

He’s grateful for that and though he’s fairly useless at the moment considering her can barely move, he wants to be involved in all this and besides, he had to learn as well. “Well we’ve got time for you to start thinking of some now.” Merle’s voice is calm and quiet, not wanting to break the atmosphere in the closet and disturb the kits. Daryl watches as Merle goes through their supplies, taking up the tiny terry cloth squares they’d cut to the right size and folding it easily. “Christ this brings back memories.” His brother mutters and Daryl finds himself leaning on his shoulder as he watches Merle closely, knowing this was a skill he needed to pick up quickly.

“You’ve put on diapers before?” Hershel is watching them, actually seeming impressed with Merle’s skills and how easily he gets the cloth in place and pinned tight enough around his daughter’s tiny legs despite being one handed.

She squirms a little against the towel and blanket, her little chest moving with every breath and Daryl can’t help but reach out to hold her tiny hand. “Had to deal with Daryl when he was a baby, picked it up pretty quick.” Merle mutters, seemingly still in awe of the fact he was helping to look after his newborn niece. His brother nudges him a little, and indicates to the stack of newborn clothes they had to choose from. “What colour you want her in? Figure keeping them in separate colours will make it easier to tell them apart.”

Nodding Daryl can understand the logic in that, it would be an easy system to work with for the first few weeks until they got to know the kits better and it wasn’t like they didn’t have a choice. He’s still shaking a little but picking out clothes is easy enough and he soon finds a baby pink romper suit that he’s happy with. Shifting a little he uses Merle for support and helps his brother dress her in it, hushing his daughter when she begins crying at suddenly being dressed for the first time in her life. “Hey don’t cry Lil Asskicker.” He coos to her and when Merle passes her up to him it’s weird that he knows just what to do.

There’s no shame as he holds her close, rocking her lightly and supporting her head. Merle places a pillow in his lap to give extra support and he rests her on it a little as he gets comfortable, eyes only for her as he shifts aside the poncho for her. His chest is swollen and he finds himself already leaking a little as he holds her in place but she seems to know what to do as much as he does and before long she’s quiet, latched onto his nipple and suckling contentedly.

It’s a weird feeling, but then so had being pregnant and giving birth and everything else to do with the kits, so he figures he’ll get used to it. Right now he knows Merle and Hershel are watching him but he couldn’t give a shit, right now his kit needed him and all he could think about was her. Holding her tiny hand she wraps her fingers about the pad of his index finger, clinging onto him tightly and watching him with bright blue eyes as he feeds her. “Yeah you like that?” He coos to her, uncaring if he looks and sounds a fool to anyone else. “You like that Lil Asskicker?”

He can hear Merle chuckling beside him but he doesn’t give a shit, happy to just hold her, feed her and make sure she was safe and happy. When she falls asleep against him he feels proud that he’d managed to make her feel safe enough to doze off, and takes the moment to lean down and scent her again before passing her back to Merle to be placed in the box.

It takes time for them to weight, dress and feed all the kits and Daryl makes sure to give them all the same amount of attention and affection, picking their colours, helping dress them, scenting them and calling them all his Lil Asskickers. It’s stupid but it’ll do in place of any names for the moment and right now he doesn’t know what names would suit them the best. When all the kits are sleeping again, nestled in their box in colour order of pink, white, blue, yellow and green he gives a happy sigh, still sore, still aching and exhausted but happy to rest beside them all and just watch them sleep.

Hershel has a small notebook on him with all the information jotted inside about their weights, their times of birth and their first feeds. Daryl’s not sure exactly if they’ll be important but he figures the information couldn’t hurt to be kept. Besides Milton had been planning out baby journals for the past few weeks. Sitting up a little he is propped up just enough to reach them all, running his fingers over their tiny bodies, feeling them all breathe easily and murmur in their sleep. He adores them all so much already even if it sounds ridiculous.

“So we’re going with Lil Asskicker 1-5 for the moment?” Merle asks and Daryl can hear the smirk in his brother’s voice without even having to look up. Giving a small shrug he can’t stop smiling, watching them all sleep, his little bundle of Ass Kickers all safe and healthy.

“Yeah.” He murmurs, running his hands over their clothing, scenting them with his palms once more, letting them take on his scent and giving himself a little more comfort. “My Lil Asskickers.”

“Well at least it’s easy to remember.” Hershel chuckles and Daryl watches with a small inkling of guilt when the old alpha rubs at his eyes. They’ve both been here this whole time with him, staying awake through the night even when he napped to watch the kits for him, they must both be exhausted.

“Why don’t you go and get some rest?” He settles himself back against the pillows, taking the weight off his abdomen and watching Hershel. “You must be exhausted.” Nudging his brother he tries to stop the wrinkle of want inside of himself and says what’s for the best. “You too Merle.”

“Fuck that, I ain’t going nowhere.” Merle growls to him, and that makes Daryl focus on his brother for the moment, not liking the sound anywhere near his kits unless he was the one making it. The kits squirm in the box, instinct making them fear the noise already and Daryl feels the need to run a hand over them again. “I ain’t leaving you on your own, nor them. Until you feel comfortable having others here I ain’t going nowhere.”

Hershel gives a tight smile, grabbing for his crutches and not protesting as Merle does, glancing back over the kits silently. “Well I’m afraid this old man does need some rest in a real bed. Now before I go Daryl I need to know how you feel about letting anyone else down here. You know there’s going to be questions from the pack and I have no doubt they’ll all want to come down here and congratulate you.”

Nodding in understanding Daryl takes a few moments to keep back the panic. They were his pack they were not a threat, not after everything they’d been through to try and keep him and the kits safe before all of this. Besides he had Merle here to help defend them and he’d never met a man who could take on his brother before. Whining a little he can’t stop the worry from creeping out, tugging the box closer to himself and feeling a mix of panic and guilt for not wanting his family near him. It was wrong of him to keep the litter from them all, the kits were theirs just as much as they were his, but some selfish part of himself wants to keep them away from the others.

“You do what you want to do baby brother, ain’t no one gonna be mad no matter what you choose to do.” Merle knows how he’s feeling as usual, able to read his moods and worries as well as if he’d said them out loud. Sighing a little he’s grateful for Merle being here, letting him do as he wishes and not pushing, but he knows he needs to take the first step sometime and as Hershel said, he was going to need some help.

Taking a breath he smiles to the kits one last time before looking back up to Hershel, nodding a little before he replies. “You can send down my alphas. The kits deserve to meet their sires and besides, I’m sure they’re probably panicking and driving everyone else crazy.”

They had been so worried for him these past few weeks he knew they must have been hard to control but he hadn’t wanted them here for the birth and that was his choice. Rick, Shane and Andrea would understand and even if they didn’t the deed was done and they had a right to meet their kits. Hershel agrees before leaving, his crutches clacking down the hall and leaving he and Merle together in the closet with the kits.

“Want me to stay here?” His brother asks, staying on the floor beside him even though Hershel’s chair was now free to be occupied.

“Yeah, I know they aren’t going to do anything but, just stay?” He replies, tugging the sheets and blankets around himself a little closer. His nest smells of just himself, warm and safe and right now he needed that silent support when he felt so on edge about others being in here.

Merle moves closer, shifting to press their foreheads together and the familiar gestures makes him smile despite himself. He knows he’s being stupid right now, but between the hormones and the instincts towards the kits, he’s quite mixed up emotionally. “I’ll stay as long as you need little brother. Ain’t gotta worry about that.” Merle mutters to him and for a moment Daryl sighs against him, just enjoying the comfort his brother gives him and hiding himself in his scent.

“You think I’m being dumb don’t you?” He asks and Merle sniggers a little against him before pulling back, grinning to him in the dim light of the closet.

“Nah you’re just doing what your omega brain is telling you.” His brother moves to tug the box closer towards Daryl, pressing it against the side of the mattress and getting it as close as possible. “Makes sense, I mean these little piglets need to be looked after and heck, we all know you’d do anything to do that.”

“Piglets?” He laughs, watching as Merle sniggers in return, the two of them smiling over something so stupid with the kits sleeping beside them both.

“You heard the noises they were making when you were feeding them, five greedy little piglets you got there.” Merle points over them all, the coloured bundles all pressed so close together and snuffling in their sleep. Daryl knows this is Merle’s way of getting him at ease, making him smile and relax a little about it all. He’s pleased to find it’s working.

“I like Lil Asskickers better.” He admits, finding himself looking forward to actually seeing his alphas a little. “Think their sires will have any ideas for names?”

“Maybe, I mean I know Andrea’s been thinking of some, but first you’ll have to let them know whose is whose. You figured it out yet? Everyone says omegas are able to figure it out.” Merle points out and Daryl knows he’s just as curious about it as everyone else would be.

“I sort of got an idea.” He shrugs, hunting through the pile of his own clothing to grab some underwear, tugging it under the sheets to drag them on. It takes a bit of manoeuvring since he’s still sore, but it’s worth it, thinking about facing his alphas with nothing but a poncho on wasn’t exactly high on his list of priorities. Checking inside the box he runs his fingers over the kits again, seemingly unable to leave them unattended for too long.

He can see Merle wants to ask but the knock on the door makes them both stop their conversation and his brother is up in a moment, glancing back to check Daryl was ready before he opens the door. Daryl gives a nod, letting out a small sigh of nerves and playing with the blankets wrapped around the kits as Merle opens the door.

His alphas come in together, all three of them already smiling to him and whatever worry was in his chest fades when he sees them all. It’s been so long since he’s been comfortable around them and right now all those feeling of adoration he has for his alphas come back up. “Hey.” Is all he can think to say and he finds himself smiling up to them all, and Merle takes the hint and sits on Hershel’s chair, giving them all some space together.

Rick moves forward first, of course he does, and Daryl’s surprised to see tears in his eyes when he leans over to kiss him. He wonders why he’s upset as he kisses back but he’s grateful that all his alphas move to greet him first, each of them kneeling besides him and nuzzling him, each one not moving to touch the kits at all yet. Rick moves to bite at his neck a little, claiming him and holding him close, just nuzzling and being here with him.

Shane is more emotional as usual, almost crushing him when he surges forwards, smashing their lips together and biting at him through the kiss with a growl. It makes him tense a tiny bit and he holds the kit’s blankets a little tighter, but Shane is only focussed on him. “Missed you Daryl.” He mumbles, and Daryl whines to let him knows he missed him too.

Andrea is more subtle, pressing her lips over his softly, cradling his face, stroking over his cheeks and hair. He meets her eyes and she doesn’t have to say a word to let him know how proud she is of him and how much they’d been worrying about him. It’s wonderful to know and he finds himself smiling, pressing against her side and not minding that they shift to join him in his nest.

He lets them keep an arm on him, Shane’s hand is on his back, Andrea is against one side and Rick has a hand on his knee, keeping him grounded as he lets them look into the box. “Sorry we worried you.” He murmurs, keeping his voice low as he lets their sires look them over, running his hands over the kits again. “Just wasn’t ready for you guys to be here before now.”

“Not a problem.” Rick sniffs back the tears and moves to run his fingers through Daryl’s hair, leaning in to kiss his cheek before looking into the box at the litter. “We wanted you to take your time and hell Daryl, we just wanted you to have anything you needed. Christ what you did was amazing, you deserved anything you needed.”

“Weren’t no walk in the park.” He agrees and with his alphas around him, strong and protecting him, he knows the kits would be safe with them all. “Want to hold them?”

Beside him Andrea gives a little noise of excitement, Shane is grinning and Rick’s tears have started up again. He takes that as a yes and leans over the box to pick up each kit gently and pass them to their sire. Merle looks a little on edge but he can handle it, the kits aren’t heavy and he’s got his alphas there if he needs them to help him in anyway.

He knows whose kit is whose, he’s not sure how exactly he knows but he just does and soon enough he’s passing them to their sires. The two eldest girls go to Shane, dressed in pink and white and Shane cradles them easily against his big chest, unable to stop smiling down at them both as they squirm to get settled. Daryl passes the boys to Rick, cradling their heads a little as their sire takes them both, their sons dressed in blue and green against Rick’s chest. Andrea gets the youngest girl, her pale yellow clothing matching her sire’s hair colour almost perfectly and Daryl knows she’s going to be as beautiful as Andrea when she grows up.

“Ya’ll thought of any names for them at all?” He asks, unable to stop smiling and reaching over to check on each one of his kits as they’re held against their sires.

“Actually we had something we all agreed on.” Shane mutters, and Daryl is pleased they’re all keeping their voices down, not wanting to disturb the kits from being quiet against them. Andrea smiles up to him with a nod but it’s Rick that explains their decision.

“We want the kits to share the last name Dixon.”

It’s almost unheard of for kits to take their omega parent’s name, they always take their sire’s instead. Daryl finds himself unable to stop from grinning at them all, glancing over to Merle and finding his brother looking just as stunned as he feels. “Are you sure? Dixon’s don’t exactly have the best reputation, plus this means everyone’s going to know Merle is their uncle.”

“Hey I’m right here!”

He chuckles a little, but finds himself tensing when the door to the closet creaks a little, someone pressing against the other side of it and making him automatically growl at the thought of someone getting near his kits. Merle is on his feet in a second, bolting to the door and snarling as he grabs whoever it is and dragging them inside. “Godamn it kid what did I say about coming down here?”

“Carl!” Rick is angry, still holding his sons close but scowling at his eldest. “I told you to wait in the cell block, I told you Daryl only wanted his alphas here.”

“But I’m his alpha too!” Carl pouts, arms folded over his chest but despite the kid wanting to scowl he can’t seem to stop from trying to peer over to the babies in curiousity. “I scented him before when there was the attack on the prison that makes him my omega too.”

“Carl it doesn’t work like that.” Shane growls a little, huffing and holding his daughters close as they begin to whine in upset at all the noise. “And keep it down will you?”

Merle scruffs the kid by his collar, and when neither of the kid’s sires protest Daryl knows just how mad they are that he’d burst in on them all. Still he couldn’t blame Carl the kid was just curious and besides now he had five new siblings to meet and that was something to be happy about, not scolded over wanting to do. Waving Merle off he nods for Carl to come over, feeling the tug in his chest when his little alpha comes to kneel besides them all on his nest. Sure Carl wasn’t his full alpha but he was still something to him and he figured it couldn’t hurt.

Carl seems in awe when he settles down, circled by his alphas holding his siblings, smiling brightly and looking to Daryl before reaching out to run a hand over their tiny heads. “Daryl, they’re awesome.”

He smirks at that, nodding in agreement. “They’re my Lil Asskickers.” Daryl murmurs, reaching out a hand to calm one of the boys when he begins to call from Rick’s arms. It’s an adorable sound, one the kits know from birth to call for their birth parent when they need them and he finds himself loving the sound of soft chirps and squeaks from his son. As soon as he touches him his son stills happily and Daryl’s glad he’s at least doing something right. “And your brothers and sisters.”

“Have you named them yet? Can I help?”

“We were just thinking of some actually. Their last name will be Dixon, do you have any ideas?”

Shrugging a little Carl looks sad as he explains his idea and Daryl places a hand on the kid’s back in sympathy. “I was thinking about maybe naming them after those we’d lost. Dale, T-Dog, Jaqui, Jim, Amy.”

Beside them Andrea tenses before shaking her head, rocking her daughter in her arms and Daryl can feel the grief wash over her for a second as she remembers her sister. “No. Amy was Amy, this little girl needs a name of her own. I’ve always liked the name Madeline, what do you think Daryl?” She looks up to him and he nods a little, looking down at his little girl and deciding the name fit nicely.

“Yeah, I like it. Maddy for short though?” He murmurs and finds Andrea nodding, pressing a small kiss to her daughter’s forehead as Daryl turns to the others.

“Shame you didn’t have a girl dad, I was thinking about my third grade teacher, remember her? She was called Judith, I thought it was a nice name.” Carl shrugs, stroking his fingers over his baby brother’s hair as Rick rocks them both.

“Hey, you got two little sisters over here that need names too.” Shane laughs, and with a nod from Daryl he passes over his eldest daughter, still curled in her pink outfit and squirming as Carl takes a hold of her. “I think Judith is a great name and it suits her just perfect don’t you think?”

Carl nods, grinning with delight as he holds his sister, copying his father and rocking her lightly with his fingers beneath her neck to support her. “Hey Judith, I’m Carl your big brother.” He murmurs and Daryl can’t help but love the kid all the more as he cradles his kit. “What about the others?”

“Lily.” Shane nods, holding his second daughter all bundled in white and looking as fragile as a flower. Daryl always liked names that came from nature and finds himself nodding as he rolls the name around his head. She is beautiful like a lily and he knows she’s going to grow strong too. “Well it seems our girls are done, what about the boys?”

Rick grins, rocking both of them a little on his lap before moving to kiss their foreheads gently. He looks over them both before nodding to the male kit dressed in blue, smiling over to Daryl as he names his son. “Elijah. It’s what I wanted to call Carl but Lori never liked it.”

“Well I like it.” Daryl smiles moving to stroke his son’s hair a little. Rick moves a little when the only unnamed kit begins calling for him again, making small squeaks of distress in Rick’s arms until Daryl takes him from his alpha. Cooing a little he holds his youngest close, scenting him as he whines and stroking over his pale green clothing. His kit murmurs, settling easily against him and moving to suck on his fingers a little. “Last one.”

“You should get to name him.” Merle calls from across the room and when he glances up he can see his brother is a little tense, most likely on edge at having so many people touching the kits and being around his brother. Daryl glances back to his alphas and finds them all nodding in agreement, allowing him to get to name his final and youngest kit. “Besides, he takes after you the most, already sucking on his fingers like you always do.”

“Shut up Merle.” Daryl murmurs happily, not caring in the slightest and rocking his tiny son. “Need some help though, don’t know many names.” He admits, nodding for Merle to come closer. “Got any ideas?” He asks his brother, wanting him to be involved as well, he deserved it and besides he really didn’t have many ideas.

“If it were a girl I’d say Darylina.” Merle chuckles but comes over as indicated, pulling over the babies’ box and checking all the pillows were still in place for them all.

“Very funny.” He rolls his eyes, tugging the box a bit nearer as he yawns. Being up for so long was beginning to take it out of him and he knew he’d need a break after his alphas were done, but he was willing to let them take their time with their kits. “But seriously, any ideas? Unless we’re all okay with Lil Asskicker Dixon?”

A round of laughter passes over the group and when Daryl gives another yawn Merle begins taking the kits from their sires, settling them back into the right order in their box under Daryl’s watchful eye. Carl seems a little put out at not getting more time with them all, but Rick places a hand on his shoulder, nodding towards Daryl and the kid seems to understand. Around him everyone begins mentioning names for the youngest, some silly, some not so bad but none of them seem to fit quite right. Someone mentions Will and he and Merle both snap out a ‘no’ at that, he’s grateful when no one asks why.

They spend a few minutes together, huddled beneath the shelf in his mini den until Merle ushers for them to get out, able to see when he was beginning to flag in exhaustion. He’s grateful but now he’s started he doesn’t want to sleep until after all his litter have been named. In his arms his son squirms, the smallest of the litter, some would say a runt but he’s strong, a fighter and Daryl is not going to let him be left out of being named. Settling himself against his pillows he cradles the baby close, moving to scent him a little and bury his nose in his neck to lose himself in the scent of himself mixed with newness.

More names are mentioned, but he shakes his head at them all, not knowing why none of them seem quite right for his baby boy. Beside him in the box the kits mewl a little, each of them crying out for him and he settles them with a hand against their chest, letting them know he was here and close. If it were safe he’d prefer to have them all in his lap or huddled against his side as he slept, but he knew they were too small and needed the boxes walls to keep them from rolling too far and hurting themselves.

His alphas and Carl are watching him closely, Merle has busied himself with folding up more supplies and sorting through the place, leaving Daryl to think to himself. Merle seems to be out of ideas as well and just when he thinks this poor little baby isn’t going to have a name like his siblings, one comes to him. “Luke.” He mutters into his son’s ear, scenting him once more before placing him beside his siblings in the box. “His name is Luke.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So in case it wasn't clear enough in the fic the kits are named in order of eldest to youngest: Judith, Lily, Elijah, Madeline and Luke. Also, the call they make to their omega parent is similar in sound to the noise baby cheetahs make mixed with the cries of a baby alligators/crocodiles, just thought you should know the noise I hear when I mention that sound.


	16. Sanctuary

Merle stays with him for the next few weeks of it all. His brother drags another mattress into the closet and between the two of them they manage to keep each other sane through all the work five newborn kits can create. Daryl finds himself sleeping when he can, trying to recover from the pain of giving birth and cope with learning all the new things his kits needed him to understand. The kits are all healthy and putting on weight, Hershel seems very pleased with their progress and Daryl feels a weight lifted of his chest when they get stronger and stronger each day.

The closet becomes his and the kits’ room for the time being, a place where he could feel safe and the kits were more at ease when surrounded by his scent. He takes time to become comfortable with leaving the kits for even a moment, Merle having to convince him that other pack members could watch them whilst he went to the bathroom or went for a shower. A kind of paranoia sets in when he’s away from the kits and before long Daryl is working himself into a panic, unwilling to let anyone else feed them or look after them if he could help it.

Everyone tries to help him, but he tries to keep them away as best he can, wanting to just protect his kits as much as possible. For some reason, even though he trusts his pack with his life, he finds it hard to allow them to assist him with this. His alphas try to help and he should find it easy to let them do more than just hold the kits, but he’s always worrying if he’s going to do something wrong, and having anyone else try makes him worry even more.

Every other member of the pack enters his space at some point, coming in to his nest to help with the kits and trying to convince him to let them help. Merle joins in after a while, rolling his eyes at his behaviour and pointing out that when he’s half asleep and trying to care for the kits it was more likely he could make a mistake. “Little brother you need to start letting them in.” Merle mutters to him in the dim light one evening, taking in his sunken eyes and how exhausted he is on a scattered few hours of sleep. “The betas are made for this, to help with kits. They’re all ready to help feed them and watch them if you need it and you need it. When was the last time you left this closet?”

“This morning.” He mutters, holding Judith close to his chest and rocking her lightly as she settles to sleep. The other kits are already dozing, all curled up in their box and finally giving in for a few hours sleep. He’s so tired, they’ve been keeping him up all day and night, needing feeds every few hours and he is starting to worry about collapsing soon enough.

“For longer than a bathroom break.” Merle snarls, moving closer and taking Judith from his arms, placing her in her space in the box and setting his hand on his brother’s shoulder. Daryl finds it hard to meet his eyes when Merle is like this, and he always struggles to say no to his brother’s demands, especially when a part of him knows he’s right. “You need to stop this, you’re going to make yourself unwell and then where will the kits be without you? Daryl, they need you to let the pack in and allow them to help. They’re your pack, our pack now, they’re here for you brother.”

Glancing over the kits he knows Merle is right, but there’s a part of him that fears leaving them alone, especially in this world where danger lurked about every corner. What if he wasn’t here to protect them and something happened? “I just feel safe here.” He shrugs, stroking a finger over his sleeping kits and watching them all sleep so peacefully, unaware of any danger or risk from the outside world.

“The kits know that you’re their mom or dad or whatever you want to be called, they’re not going to forget that if you go outside for some fresh air and a walk for half an hour.” Merle murmurs, keeping his voice low and calm for him, soothing and when his brother moves to lie beside him in the nest, curling an arm about his waist he curls closer. His brother has always been there for him and really Merle wouldn’t say this if it weren’t true. “Daryl, you need a break from this place and from being a parent. Just for half an hour or so. In the morning I’m calling down Lori and Carol, they’ve had their own kits, if anyone is qualified to care for these little piglets it’s them. And you are going to go take a walk around the yard and catch some air with your alphas.”

Huffing out a small chuckle Daryl lets his eyes close, resting against Merle and taking whatever rest the kits were willing to give him. Merle was right, as usual. He was more than just a parent, he was still his own person and right now he’d kind of forgotten there was more to life than caring for his children. Even if that was the most important thing right now. “Just a half hour.” He murmurs, willing to give in that little bit and fully aware of the part of himself that yearns to spend some time with his alphas again.

The morning comes and he’s still tired from the night feeds and the kits needing changing in the middle of the night, but Merle is adamant in his plan from the night before and before he can confess that he’s worried, Lori and Carol are at the door with Merle.

“Come on little brother, time for your exercise.” Merle smirks and his brother is on him, yanking him up to his feet and draping an arm about his shoulders. “Heck you don’t wanna be a fat mom to the piglets do you?”

Biting on his lower lip he can’t help but fret as Carol and Lori take up their seats in the closet, both of them smiling and looking so relaxed when he was so on edge. “You sure you’re okay to do this? I mean they can be quite a handful and Maddy has been so whiny lately she might be a bit of a bother.” He’s fidgeting, trying to find a reason to stay and fight off Merle trying to steer him out of the closet.

Carol smiles to him, already lifting his fussy youngest daughter from the box and holding her close. “Not to worry Daryl, Sophia was fussy as well I’m sure we can handle it between us.” She looks so calm, as does Lori and though he knows they’ve done this before it’s so frightening to take those first few steps away.

“Of course we can and besides we’ve both been dying to get to spend some time with the kits.” Lori looks so happy, lifting Elijah into her lap and stroking over his tiny hands and feet. His kits don’t begin crying or calling for him immediately and Daryl supposes that’s a good sign to start with. “Now you go and enjoy your break, we can handle it.”

It’s with a heavy heart that Daryl leaves the closet, worry coursing through him and he knows that if Merle weren’t beside him steering him towards the cellblock he’d probably be back in the closet already. “They’ve got it covered.” Merle doesn’t seem worried at all and Daryl wonders how he can be so confident in the betas when usually Merle never trusted anybody. Maybe Merle really did feel a part of this pack now. ”And they’re betas, so if the kits need feeding they’ve got the supplies for it.”

No one else has fed the kits but him and he knows the betas have been dealing with the sore chests from that choice of his, but it was something so intimate with the kits and he hadn’t wanted to share that before. “Merle I’m not so sure…”

“Stop it. You need to get out of your nest baby brother, I’m serious. You’ve been holed up in there for long enough. The kits are only getting stronger, you need more fresh air and the kits needs to be integrated into the pack.” They enter the main cell block and Daryl must admit it’s nice to be surrounded by the smell of pack and not just himself. Everyone smiles to him when he enters and though it’s strange to be the centre of attention he does enjoy the sense of caring from all of them.

“Well look who’s up.” Glenn comes over almost immediately, a grin on his face and as soon as Merle moves aside Glenn has his arm hooked and is dragging him outside. Daryl is too amused to fight back and when the sunlight hits his skin he feels himself sigh in pleasure. He hadn’t realised how much he’d missed this feeling of being free and able to roam about. Merle was right, the kits were fine and he should take some time to think of himself. “We’ve missed you man.”

“Been a little busy.” Daryl smiles, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt but glad it’s long enough to cover the baby weight still bloating around his belly. He does need to get back into shape, some exercise wouldn’t go amiss and starting off with a walk around the grounds would be a great place to start. “The kits don’t really give me much of a break.” He shouldn’t feel guilty for admitting that, the kits know they’re difficult and they’re not going to hate him for needing a break from it all for a moment.

“I know, but you know we’re here to help right?” Glenn smiles and though he’s not pushy Daryl knows this is clearly a conversation that has echoed around the pack without him there.

He nods, taking in the scent of fresh air mixed with the larger pack, scents all comingling into a sense of security and safety that he’s missed. “Yeah it’s just…they’re mine you know? I’ve never really had anything of my own before so I’m kind of a bit possessive.” Daryl explains, feeling a bit stupid and relieved when Glenn simply jostles at his side in playful understanding.

“You’re allowed to be possessive but know that you don’t have to do this by yourself. We all want to be there for you and heck me and the rest of the betas are made for this you know?” He does know and he’s sure they must have been on edge being denied what they were made to do. “It’s our role in a pack to help out with litters and we’ve barely even seen them.”

Daryl picks at his nails as they walk the grounds, moving to the graveyard they’d created and letting his fingers linger over the crosses that mark T-Dog’s and Dale’s graves. He misses them and he doesn’t know what he’d do without the rest of the pack here to help him, he just needs to let it happen now. “It’s just hard you know? I feel safe back there with just them and Merle.” He remembers how he’d promised Dale that the kits were the whole pack’s, and now here he was keeping them away from everyone when really he should be sharing the joy with them all.

“I know.” Glenn is grinning, and Daryl can almost feel that he’s got a secret somewhere hidden within himself. He watches as Glenn bites at his lip and he knows that if Shane hadn’t shown up right then and wrapped an arm about him, he would have been able to get Glenn to snap.

As it is he finds himself being kissed harshly, Shane growling into his mouth and making him moan a little in return. He can hear Glenn laughing behind him as Shane practically scoops him into his arms, using his alpha strength to lift him off the ground a few inches. “Miss me?” Daryl smirks, wrapping his arms about Shane’s neck and holding on as he’s held close.

“Only a lot omega.” Shane smirks, biting at the skin of his neck, leaving marks and scratching his teeth there to show his dominance even though it wasn’t in question. “You’ve been holed up away from us for too long.” His alpha growls, clearly having been separated from him for too long and wanting to mark him all over, not pausing for a second before scenting Daryl all over his face.

“Been a bit busy Shane.” He mutters but doesn’t protest, enjoying the feeling of protectiveness coming from Shane and the scent of a reliable alpha.

Shane nips at the corner of his lips a little, sharing a kiss with him before stopping, clearly wanting more but fully aware of his position beneath Rick in the rankings. Daryl wonders if Rick had had to put Shane in his place, his second alpha could be so determined to get what he wanted and he’s sure Rick would have had to stop him from storming into the closet. “Wouldn’t be as busy if we could all help. You do know Rick and I helped with Carl right?”

“Yeah I know, I know.” He nods as he’s set back onto his feet, tugging at the shirt to make sure he’s covered before they continue talking. “It’s just taking a bit of time to get used to everything.” It’s getting easier to admit to being overwhelmed and maybe this had been a good idea, getting him back into the pack and remembering how it felt to feel so safe and cared for. Surely the kits would be better off if they were exposed to this as well?

“It would be easier if you moved back to the cell block. You know we’ve made a surprise for you? If you want it of course?” Glancing back to Glenn Daryl can see the grin on his face and the way the beta bounces a little on his feet, clearly glad that Shane is making sure he doesn’t have to keep the secret for long. “We’ve spruced up the birthing cell a bit for you. If you want to come back to us it’s all ready for you and Merle if you want.” Shane explains, his hands firm but caring on the small of Daryl’s back, not pushing, but just there and safe.

It’s sweet of them, it really is but he remembers them trying to get him to stay there before he’d given birth, and just how uncomfortable he’d felt in there. “The closet is just…it’s comfortable.” He doesn’t know how to explain it exactly, and he knows he can’t hide away forever but still, the closet was his.

“We can move everything back for you.” Shane continues, clearly eager and wanting to make sure the idea sounds as good as he thinks it is. “Get it all in the birthing cell and make it a real nursery for you and the kits. You can have all your scented things in there and that way it’s not such a trek to come check on you and the kits.”

“Plus it would be safer you know?” Glenn adds in, moving closer, looking so excited and Daryl really doesn’t know if he has the heart to say no. Merle would think it was a good idea, he knows his brother is getting pretty sick of sleeping in a closet with him and five noisy kits. “You’d be closer to the cars if we needed to leave and we could all be there for you.”

He knows Shane is right and he can see Glenn is still bouncing on the balls of his feet, clearly excited for this to happen. Daryl wonders if the rest of the pack are as eager for him to come back to them, to not put himself and the kits in a self made exile. Really it would be safer and he knows they’d never stop him from wanting to be comfortable. Chewing on his lip he takes a moment, glancing back to Dale’s grave and remembering how eager the old beta had been to be a part of the kits’ lives. “You’d help me out moving it all right?”

They both grin, Shane and Glenn looking as if they’d managed to win a battle by themselves and smiling from ear to ear. “Of course, we’d all help. We can get it done today if you like.” Glenn is already tugging on his arm, trying to get him back inside to get started and in the sudden joy of it all Daryl allows himself to stop worrying and get swept up in the buzz.

It doesn’t take long for them to move things from his closet to the birthing cell. Everyone from the pack helps out whilst he, Merle and Carl help Lori and Carol move the kits into their new home. The whole pack is excited by the move and Daryl has to appreciate all they’ve done for him in the cell. Someone has taken the lower bed off one of the bunks, hanging sheets from the top bed to give him a small and secluded area to sleep in where the bottom bunk should be, it reminds him of his nest beneath the shelf. More sheets hang over the cell door, giving them all some privacy and keeping the light out if the kits were sleeping. Around the walls are more shelving units, each one stocked with all their supplies for the kits and separated by colour for each of them. It’s wonderful and he knows they’ve all tried their hardest to make this as comfortable for him as possible.

The birthing cell becomes a nursery, he moves into it with Merle and he scents the place as his own. It’s everything he needs and the kits don’t take too badly to the move at all, in fact they seem to enjoy the attention they get from everyone. It makes things easier as time passes and everyone takes their turn with caring for the kits.

His alphas do what they can, each of the betas help with the feeds and it’s nice that during the night Daryl doesn’t have to wake up if he’s completely exhausted. The kits get healthier and stronger, each one putting on more weight and beginning to interact with the world more and more. Daryl begins to enjoy actually being a parent instead of just a care giver to them. The kits coo and babble to him, calling for him and gurgling happily when he goes over to scent them into being calm.

Around them all the pack grows, more people join them and though he tries his best to be polite, Daryl finds it hard to let anyone other than packmates around the kits. Everyone else seems to understand and by the time the kits are seven months old he’s settled back in to their life in the prison with everyone else, the original pack in their cell block and the extended family in the surrounding ones.

The prison has grown to accommodate them all, with the farm developing into a workable place, providing food for them all and he even gets himself back into shape and able to hunt with Merle again. Their lives are safe in here, the fences hold the walkers back, they have food and their health, medical supplies and for once everything seems to be falling into place. He adores their home and he adores his pack, loving how perfect they’ve been to him and how settled he is.

A couple of years ago he’d have snarled and fought against all of them, defending his omega body and mind from them all and desperate to keep away from the worry of other people. Now here he is, an omega with a litter of kits and a pack that he adored.

Sprawled out in the sunlight he has a blanket beside him for the kits to roll around on, the five of them were beginning to get better and better at crawling lately and as such they were becoming little monsters. He’s enjoying the day, Merle and he had caught a deer yesterday so there was no need for hunting and right now he was just relaxing with the knowledge that everything was fine. Beside him sits Milton, Beth, Andrea and Michonne, each of them chatting about everything and nothing, watching the kits together.

Daryl lies on his stomach beside his kits, watching them all crawl about, some of them pouncing on each other and play fighting, learning how to fight and working out a hierarchy between them all. It’s adorable to watch, seeing how they give the smallest of squeaks before attacking, rolling over the blanket and pawing at each other playfully. They burble out laughter between each other, occasionally crawling up to him with a babble and baby talking to him and pointing to each other. He scents them when he wishes and sometimes he’ll find them pouncing at him instead, Lily and Judith teaming up to grab at his hair and mouth at his face, a cross between a bite and a kiss.

He catches them both, burying his face into their bellies and blowing raspberries on them, making them squeal and giggle in delight. His own attack seems to rally the troops and before he knows it there are three more little pairs of hands grabbing at him, more laughter and babbles as Eli, Maddy and Luke all attack him in return. His kits make quite the team and he finds himself uncaring as they all sprawl together in the sunlight, all five of them clambering on top of him and play fighting with him. It’s a moment of pure perfection, he can hear the others laughing at him acting like such a child, but he doesn’t care, not when he can take the time out from chores to be with them all.

The cool breeze in the air brings in a different scent and he’s on edge immediately, sitting up and catching Lily when she slips from his shoulder to set her behind him. The kits all freeze at his wariness, pressing close to him as he growls and calling for him and his protection as he glares at the intruder on their perfect moment.

The group of kids all giggle, most of them running away to play some more, but it’s the girl that worries him, the oldest one. Her sister grabs at her hand when she lingers, Micah tugging on Lizzie to follow and go play, to stop watching the kits and trying to get close to a protective omega and his litter. Lizzie isn’t doing anything threatening, she’s merely smiling and watching them all play, and there’s a tingle of guilt at his reaction but there’s something about her that makes Daryl feel on edge. The girls skip away, giving a giggle and a wave over their shoulders and leaving Daryl to try and fit five wriggling kits into his lap to make himself feel better.

“She wasn’t doing anything Daryl, they’re just curious, they probably haven’t seen any babies in so long.” Michonne smiles to him. She’s really come into her own over time, her and Andrea have become close, strong and powerful female alphas that could take on the world if they wanted to. She reaches out to help him with the kits when they don’t want to stay still with him, instead deciding to try and crawl in as many directions as possible between them.

Shrugging to himself he watches them all before glancing back to where Lizze and Micah have gone off to play. “Don’t care, she just makes me feel on edge is all.” He can’t help it and ignore the way Beth giggles at his overprotective nature as the kits all squeal and begin pouncing again.

Milton gives up on writing in his journal, jotting down everything they’ve been going through to give some answers someday down the line. Eli helps by chewing on the pages and climbing into Milton’s lap and getting in the way, Daryl can see how at home the beta feels when he doesn’t hesitate to give support to his kit. “It’s probably because she’s an alpha and has presented so young. Girls always present earlier than boys and it’s becoming more common for it to happen earlier and earlier nowadays. Her scent must set you on edge.”

That made sense, but just because he understood didn’t make it any easier to relax around them. He was just glad the girls slept in a different cell block and couldn’t get to the kits when he wasn’t on full alert. “Probably, I just don’t want her upsetting the kits is all.”

“I wouldn’t worry, they’re rather easy to distract.” Beth and Andrea giggle as they begin trying to keep the kits on the blanket, each of the litter trying to escape and explore more and more of the world. They don’t seem at all bothered by the girls and besides as Beth pointed out, they’re easily distracted, as becomes apparent when they all begin chirruping in unison at the person who arrives next.

“Well if it isn’t my favourite piglets!” Daryl sighs as Merle makes his usual entrance, not being at all gentle as he tackles an armful of kits to the floor and gets them all riled up when they were meant to be getting ready for a nap. “Come give Uncle Merle a big ol’ hug!” Still he can’t help but smile when all the kits squeal in delight, each of them trying to headbutt Merle in greeting and give him gummy kisses and bites to show their appreciation of him.

Milton rolls his eyes as his legs are caught beneath the mound of Merle and kits, trying to extract himself subtly before just yanking himself free. “I thought you were meant to be on watch?” He asks, wiping the leftover drool from his book as Beth hands him a handkerchief to assist.

“I thought you were meant to stop being such a sourpuss Miltie? I’ve done my time, it’s someone else’s go now, ain’t got nothing to report anyhow.” Merle rolls onto his back, letting the kits pounce and climb on top of him, looking nothing like the big strong alpha he was meant to be when he’s like this. Not that Daryl minds, for once it lets everyone else see him the way he sees his brother.

“Maybe there’s no need for us to go on watch anymore? I mean we still have to clear the fences and reinforce them every so often, but there’s been no sign of anything else.” Andrea shrugs, picking at her boots and talking to the all about it, giving a customary glance to the outside of the fences.

“If you mean the Governor just say so.” Milton sighs, still upset over everything that happened but settled, living with the memories instead of being lost in them.

Michonne sits a little straighter, catching Luke from falling off Merle’s chest and setting him down to the blanket again. “We’ve been trying to track him for months now and we’ve not seen a damned thing. Aside from him burning down Woodbury there’s not been a single thing to even suggest he’s still in the area. Maybe we should all stop worrying so much and start living.” It’s true, ever since the Governor had run off they’d been ready for another attack, the Governor didn’t seem to the be the type to give up so easily, but so far there had been nothing. Sometimes Daryl wondered if Rick hadn’t killed the man and not admitted it to him.

“I tried to track him myself and found nothing.” Merle shrugs, uncaring, relaxed and acting as if nothing in this world could ever destroy his happiness right now. The kits mouth at his prosthetic and Daryl is pleased to see Merle has removed the blade when he’s around the litter. “Man’s either dead or long gone by now.”

For a moment Daryl allows himself to cling to that belief, aware of Milton’s presence but uncaring as he leans down to scent the kits briefly in turn. “Good I don’t want him anywhere near the kits.” His children mewl at him a little playfully, some copying the motion and rubbing back even though their scent glands weren’t fully developed yet. It’s sweet that they were starting to pick up on things like that and Daryl finds himself adoring them even more when they begin to try and ascent Merle.

“Don’t want him anywhere near you.” His brother adds and Daryl takes a moment to leave down to press their forehead’s together, scenting Merle as his brother scents him in return, just their way of sharing their relief at being safe and together for once. He knows Merle would do anything for him, but right now he needs a moment away from the kits and to discuss things with his alpha.

“That too.” He agrees, standing from the ground and dusting himself off, pleased to finally be rid of all the baby weight and back to being able to wear his own clothes. “You all right with them if I go stretch my legs for a moment? Remember they need to go in for a nap soon.”

“Rick’s over by the pig pen.” Merle smirks when Daryl kicks at his side, jostling him a little and making the kits squeal in delight at having to hang on tighter. “I can read your face little brother, you go run to your alpha, we can handle the piglets.” He scowls a little but he can tell it must be obvious by the look the others are giving him, everyone smiling a little and Andrea giving a nod of understanding when he gives her a farewell kiss.

“Carol and Lori will be over to help get them settled soon anyway, they’re on kit watch for the next few hours.” Beth adds, smiling to him brightly and nodding as he prepares to leave. The girl has grown up so strong over the past few months, bright and cheerful, the light they all look to in the darkest of times and she’s been a great help even when Daryl didn’t realise it. Leaning down he presses his forehead to hers lightly, for only a second of shared unity between them.

He waits a moment for Merle to distract the kits, not willing to deal with another crying fit if they realised he was gone right now when he could sneak away undetected and leave them all happy and playing. Taking his chance he slink over to the pig pen, finding the happy family of Rick, Shane, Lori and Carl all feeding the pigs and checking on the health of the piglets between them. He watches for a while, and though he may not have the exact same thing, he wonders if the pack will be so happy and laughing when the kits are older and playing in the yard.

Ignoring the surge of eagerness that brings up he goes to stand with Lori by the fence, leaning on it to watch as Rick and Shane tried to corral the unruly piglets into some sense of order to be checked over. “For a couple of alphas at the head of a huge pack, they really suck as farmers.” Lori smiles to him, her hair ghosting around her in the breeze and tickling at her cheeks. Since the birth of the kits he’s become so much closer to her, talking to her in hushed whispers in the middle of the night about his fears and listening to her reassurances that it was all justified and a part of being a parent. She and Carol had been so wonderful to him, listening to stupid questions and dealing with tantrums brought on by the kits not responding as he’d wished and between them all they’d somehow managed to get five healthy and happy kits to seven months old.

“Well it’s not as if Carl is helping much.” He watches as the fledgling laughs over their antics, not helping at all as Shane and Rick chase the piglets about the pen.

“Believe it or not they’ve been trying to teach him today.” Lori sounds so proud when she speaks, watching her boy before turning to Daryl. “Carl’s really beginning to grow into his role, he’s barely even a fledgling anymore, Rick’s even letting him help marking the territory now.”

Daryl has to smile at that, glad that Carl was finally getting to be the adult he always wanted to be treated as, even if the kid was still so young. Duties started early and it was good that Carl was learning. “That’s great. He’s going to be a damned good alpha you know?”

“I know.” The pride in her voice makes Daryl glance over his shoulder to where the kits are merely dots in the distance, climbing over Merle and squealing. “I just can’t believe my baby is finally growing up and heir to such a big pack too.”

It’ll be a big job but if there was anyone who could keep rank and everyone in line, Daryl is sure it’s Carl. “I’ll be proud to call him alpha, so will everyone else.” He can hear when Lori begins getting upset and places a hand on her shoulder, never really sure how to help with tears. "There’s still a while to go yet though Lori, Rick and Shane aren’t going anywhere anytime soon and he’s got a lot to learn.”

“You going to be alright being his omega?” She asks him, looking so unsure about the future even though it was spread before all of them to enjoy.

Shrugging a little he nods as he thinks it through. He’s still not exactly a traditional omega, he’s nowhere near as submissive as he should be and has a heck of a time taking orders if he doesn’t agree with them, but in general he’s gotten better at being cared for and wanted for who he is. “Heck he’s already my little alpha and besides like I said, there’s years to go until we have to deal with that.” Carl had been good to him so far, not using his rank to his advantage unless he’d had to and he was grateful for the kid being so understanding when Daryl was so different from the normal omegas.

“You’re right, I just can’t believe how fast my wonderful boy is growing up.” Lori sniffs and then laughs, wiping at her eyes with a shaky smile and shaking her head at her own behaviour. “God look at me getting all emotional over nothing, he’s just scenting for crying out loud.”

“Hey, I cried when Lily learnt to roll over by herself, I think you’re allowed to be emotional over this. Christ I don’t want to know what I’m going to be like when the kits begin to walk and talk and stuff.” He adds, patting her shoulder and he’s pleased when Lori looks to be feeling better about it all.

“God I remember that, I had it all written down in a little book, every milestone Carl hit was jotted down.”

Daryl wishes he could have been a part of those memories, he wishes he could have had this pack before when he was younger and trying to learn who he was, but he had them now and that was better than nothing. “Well I have Milton, my personal scribe to do that for me. Honest to God he could probably tell you the amount of hairs on each of their heads by now.” He pauses as she laughs, clearly feeling better and more relaxed as she turns to glance to where the kits are. “You okay taking the next shift with them? I don’t mind if you want?”

“No, you need a break Daryl and besides, seeing Carl growing up has gotten me wanting to spend time with the babies and remember those times.” Lori smiles, leaning up to kiss his cheek lightly before giving her son a wave and heading off over the grounds, meeting with Carol midway to go take their shift with the litter.

Watching the alphas before Daryl is not surprised that they’re working as the perfect team, it just seems the piglets were better at finding the flaws in their plans. Shane dives for one, catching it by the leg and wrestling the thing to the floor as Rick bolts in from the front, each of them holding the screaming piglet between them to get it into an individual pen. Hershel had mentioned the piglets needing to be separated in case they came into season and they didn’t want inbreeding if they could help it.

Carl smiles to him, waving from his spot watching and Daryl can feel the love for his pack swell at the thought of the kid as his alpha. Sure he’s still loyal to Rick and Shane, with Andrea and Michonne afterwards and Maggie somewhere in the mix with Tyreese, but Carl was the heir and he knew there was a secure future there for him. Carl wouldn’t think him a freak for his behaviour and for not acting with typical reactions of an omega, and having that security in his future is very reassuring. Leaning on the fence he watches his alphas work until the piglets are in their own sectioned off pens, grunting as they’re fed and uncaring of the amount of work they’d caused between them.

Rick comes over, panting a little from the effort of catching the piglets but smiling to him, pressing their foreheads together in greeting. “Enjoy the show? You’re certainly smiling about something.”

Chuckling a little he presses a kiss to his alpha’s lips with a lazy shrug, not surprised when Shane butts his way in for a kiss of his own and to scent him after Rick. “Just thinking about the future is all. It’s nice to have one for once.” He admits, enjoying the stifling warmth of his alphas on either side of him and pressing into their bodies. They all huff in agreement, and Daryl isn’t surprised when Carl joins in their closeness, just placing a hand on Daryl’s side and giving his own scent to their omega. Just for that moment everything is perfect and he can breathe easily for himself and his pack and kits and their shared future.

Until the tank’s shot rocks the prison.


	17. Loss

This can’t be happening.

They’d just been talking about this and laughing over how this couldn’t possibly happen because there was no sign of The Governor. Yet now here he was, standing beyond their fences with a tank and a pack and probably looking for more than just vengeance. Merle had tracked him himself and his brother had said there was no sign of him, so how could this be happening?

Beside him Rick and Shane are tense, their hands on their weapons and they try to push himself and Carl behind themselves automatically for protection. He feels sick, his mind is a sudden buzz of panic and terror and despite knowing he should be focussing on what’s happening outside of their gates all he can think about is his litter. The kits were here, his children were in danger and he needed to find them and get them somewhere safe. In a second he feels as he did the first time this threat popped up and he wants it to be just him, the kits and the closet where he could feel safe and away from it all.

Outside the fences is the biggest threat they’ve ever faced before and it’s worse than walkers because this threat has more on its mind than just trying to eat them. Daryl’s stomach feels clenched inside of himself, his entire body is on edge and he feels both frozen to the spot and wanting to bolt as far away from this as possible. Shane’s hand presses him back further and Daryl can feel when Carl tries to tug him away and inside. There’s a silent communication between the three alphas and Daryl can feel the consensus to get the omega somewhere safe and away from the threat.

He doesn’t care about himself right now, all he can think about is the kits and how they’re somewhere in there and he’s not there to help them. They’re his children and he’s out here staring at the Governor and his new pack with weapons and vehicles and not running to them immediately. When Rick turns to them he steps closer, linking his fingers into his alpha’s sleeve and not wanting to let go. Shane is there beside him when Rick pulls away, when the pack’s alpha begins walking away from them and the safety to go and meet with the rival on the edge of their territory.

“Carl, you need to get Daryl inside and get everyone ready. Get the kids and everyone onto the buses and ready to go, make sure everyone else is armed.” Shane’s voice is low, tense but firm. He may not be the first alpha but right now it’s clear that he’s earned his position as second and that he’s not going to allow them to step out of line right now.

Daryl shakes his head, grabbing at Carl’s shoulder and uncaring if he’s mishandling his little alpha right now. The panic overwhelms him and he’s leaning down to Carl’s height, clutching at his little alpha and begging him to listen. “The kits, you have to get them somewhere safe. Please Carl, no matter what you have to make sure they’re safe.”

“Daryl you need to come with me.” Carl grabs at him in return but Daryl can’t move, he can’t let this threat out of his sight when they were so unprepared. Rick was down there on the edge of their territory and talking to the Governor, negotiating but he can see the way the one eyed alpha is staring at him instead. There’s no doubt in his mind what the other man wants and it’s not only to get payback on Rick.

He moves with Shane and Carl closer towards the buildings and whines in relief when they’re met with more members of the pack. Merle grabs him immediately, pressing their foreheads together briefly before handing over his crossbow. “Heard the noise, everyone is armed and ready.” Merle nods down the line and Daryl feels a sense of security as he finds their pack ready and holding their guns. He never wanted anything like this to happen to them, but at least they are prepared as best as they can be. “Everyone else is clearing out to the vehicles and getting ready to make a break for it. The betas and Hershel have got that covered.” Merle nods to Shane and in a second Daryl can see that whatever differences they may have between them, right now they were two alphas intent on protecting their pack first and foremost.

The front lines are ready, Andrea and Michonne stand close and everyone else is alongside them against the fence. The guns are aimed at the enemy and Daryl can see the way Maggie and Glenn share a kiss before giving in the urge to protect what was theirs. Bob, Tyreese, Sasha, and a few of the Woodbury alphas are here with them, all lined up and ready to do what they can for their pack.

“Omega!”

The word echoes around the prison grounds, thundering around him until the nerves in his chest tighten into one mass of foreboding. He knew it would come to this and he’s never hated the word more than he did now. His whole life it’s been an insult to him, a scathing remark to comment on his lower rank and how beneath everyone else he was. Now it was his summoning, the final word he’ll hear before he was forced to do what he could to save the pack he’d always craved.

He takes a step forward, ready to join Rick by the fence of their territory and hopefully find a way to solve all of this. “Don’t you fucking dare.” Merle snarls and before he can get any further he’s yanked back by his brother, snatched into his arms and held there tightly. “You ain’t goin’ down there. Told you I don’t want you near him.”

“Merle…” He doesn’t know what to say. There are so many words he wants to use, and so many things he wants to tell his brother but right now they don’t have time for it. The Governor didn’t seem the type of alpha to have a lot of patience and he wasn’t going to push the man when he had a tank and a rival pack at their door. “Take care of the kits for me.”

When he goes to pull away there are more hands on him, Shane moving to kiss him, Carl grabbing at his waist and the others all placing hands on him as he moves past to where Rick stands firm at the edge of their territory. It’s the longest walk of his life and he can practically feel the pack watching him as he walks towards their enemy. Rick doesn’t make a show of greeting him and Daryl knows he doesn’t want to insult the Governor, not when they’re at a stand off.

His panic for his kits is heavy in his chest but he has to focus right now, especially when he’s been summoned to a meeting of two alphas like this. Tightening his grip on his bow he stands firm, raising his gaze to meet that of the Governor and it’s the first real time he’s met the man. Before he’s always been a silent threat, the kind that he’d heard about but had been kept away from, now here he was face to face with the alpha and he hated him immediately.

“Well now ain’t you a pretty thing? I can hardly believe that you’re Merle’s brother.” Daryl tries not to let the words get to him, this man was not a nice person and his words meant nothing, all that mattered right now was getting them out of this situation and right now he was here to help. “Now omega, we’re here having a little talk about what we’re going to do about this situation between us. See I have a new pack and we’re in need of an omega and somewhere to settle. We have no permanent territory and we want yours.”

“We can work this out. There’s plenty of room here for everyone, we can work things out.” Rick speaks calmly but his hand is still on his weapon, holding it in the holster but ready to draw and fire is he had to. “Please, this prison could be a territory for all of us.”

In no way does Daryl think it would ever work between them all, they’re all too different and this Governor, he’s dangerous. Their pack is already too large and they couldn’t work together. “Quiet alpha, I’m not talking to you.” The Governor snarls and Daryl can feel that there isn’t going to be a happy ending to this. The fear in his gut rolls again and he wants to bolt, but his loyalty to his pack keeps him steady and holding his crossbow tighter to himself. “Now omega I have a deal for you and you alone.”

Stepping closer Daryl swallows back the fear, linking his fingers in the chain link and looking up to the other alpha. He’s almost the opposite of Rick, he’s not brave or loyal, he’s dangerous and full of lies and darkness. But right now he needs to listen and do what he can. “I have one for you too.” He can feel Rick at his back but he can’t look at him right now, he needs to be strong and think of his kits and how they can survive if he does this. “If you’re willing to consider it.”

“Omegas don’t make demands boy.” The Governor snarls and Daryl ducks his head in a sign of submission, hating that he has to give in to this man but knowing that right now he can’t fight what he needs to do. “But I’ll bite, what’s your deal?” It works and he has the man listening to him at least.

“You leave the prison alone.” Daryl makes sure to keep the shaking out of his voice, he can’t allow his terror for his pack to be shown, not in front of this man. “Turn around, take your pack and don’t come back here again.” He doesn’t feel strong or like anything more than a desperate man clinging to the hope of safety for those he loves.

The Governor scoffs, kicking his feet against the roof of the car before stepping down to the ground, walking over to be on the same level as them and coming up to the other side of the fence. “And why would I want to do a thing like that?” He asks and Daryl can see the look in the man’s eye that speaks of an uncaring soul.

“I’ll submit to you.” He wants to step back and hide behind his alpha, he can feel Rick’s tension behind him but he refuses to ask for his protection right now. “You can have me, I’ll be your omega and yours alone. I’ll join your pack, I’ll mate with you, we can breed and have litters to make our pack stronger.” It makes him feel sick to even think about it, but this is what’s going to save them and if all it takes is for him to give in and leave the pack, then he’ll do it. For them. For the pack. For the kits. “I’ll be yours alpha.”

There’s a moment of silence between them all and Daryl can see the way the Governor’s new pack are all watching them, clearly waiting for a command and needing to follow. He wants to snarl and growl for them to back off and get away from their territory but instead he trains his eyes on the Governor and tries to plead with him silently to accept the offer. It’s nothing much but all he has to give is himself, and this whole problem started because he was an omega so maybe he could fix it for all of them.

“Now that sounds like a nice plan and all, but there’s one problem with it.” The Governor looks around his pack and Daryl can feel the way they all shift, holding their weapons closer and making Rick growl a little behind him. Holding out a hand he tries to keep him calm and backed away, because he didn’t want a fight if he could help it. “You see, you smell of a litter already now I know if I take you away from them you’ll go into heat, but I don’t want any competition for any litters of my own. If I leave your kits here then this pack gets stronger, and I cannot have a pack with such a strong territory getting any stronger.”

The panic rears up inside of him again and Daryl is clinging to the fence, giving up on any shame he may feel and dropping to his knees in supplication. “Please, please just take me.” Baring his neck he keeps his gaze low, one step away from rolling onto his back and letting the Governor have him right there to seal the deal and keep them safe. “We can go anywhere you want. I won’t fight, I’ll be your omega completely and utterly.”

Because he may not be perfect, he may find it difficult to give in to his instincts of being an omega but he could do this for them all. He would spend his life being nothing but a breeding bitch for the Governor’s new pack if he needed to, because right now his kits were up there in the prison with his pack and they needed him to do what was necessary to keep them safe. There’s nothing more he can do and though he can feel Rick watching him he knows he can’t look at his alpha right now or he’d crumple.

The Governor’s fingers sneaks through the chain link to run over his hair, stroking over him and catching his attention. Every fibre of his being begs for this man to agree and take the offer and he hopes the smile on the Governor’s face means he will. “If you join my pack then you shouldn’t care about your old one anymore. Any kits we have would be your old kits’ rivals and I will not have that. We cannot survive unless all of our rivals are destroyed and we cannot leave such a secure place for another pack to keep.”

“No please don’t!”

His words fall on deaf ears and with a quick hand signal from the Governor the tank is firing again, the engines of the vehicles all revving into action and surging forwards. Fingers grab at his shirt and yanks him back from the fence as it’s run down, dragging him back and away behind an overturned bus to seek shelter from the sudden storm of bullets that echo around them. The gunfire comes from both sides and Daryl knows both packs are fighting with everything they’ve got. Rick’s arms tighten around his waist, keeping him pinned to the floor beneath him and pressing against his back to protect him.

Right now he doesn’t want protection, he needs to somehow get back inside and find the kits and get them out of there. If any of the Governor’s pack got inside they would kill them immediately and he didn’t know if the betas could handle that. “Alpha get off me!”

“You need to get somewhere safe!” Rick snarls, keeping him down and snarling as more bullets fly overhead. The rival pack move in, those on foot ducking behind the vehicles and Daryl feels pure rage boil inside of him at having them on their territory. He doesn’t want to get somewhere safe, he wants to help in any way he can and before Rick can stop him he’s darting out from their hiding place to fire his crossbow at some of the rival pack. One goes down but it draws more attention their way and Rick is there beside him, firing at others and trying to get him to stay behind him.

The he sees the Governor, smiling and watching the chaos as their world crumbles around them, walkers being drawn in from the spill of blood and sound of death. Everything omega hides away and he feels like the alpha he’s always pretended to be before all of this. Snarling loudly he tackles the taller man to the floor, uncaring of being out in the open and hitting him as hard as he can. His fists smash into cheekbones, he rakes his nails into the soft skin of his cheeks and tries his best to take the man down.

He takes some hits in return and the alpha has clearly been in fights like this before. There’s kicks and punches, bites and the Governor uses his superior weight to pin him down on his back. Instinct tells him to bare his neck to the alpha and stay down, but he’d rather die than give in to this fucker that dared to threaten his pack and kits. Daryl takes punches to the ribs, an elbow to the face, kicks to his legs and gives back twice as hard as he can until fingers wrap about his neck.

His air is slowly getting cut off and no matter how much he tries to scrabble free and dig his nail in to the Governor’s face the alpha above him won’t loosen his grip. Breathing gets harder, his chest feels tighter and he’s gasping for air, still glaring up to the Governor as his vision starts to darken at the edges. “This is all your fault omega, if only you’d come with me sooner we could have avoided all this.”

Daryl wants to snarl and spit on him, but he can barely see straight let alone fight back.

“Hey!” The Governor makes the mistake of looking up and Daryl gets to see the look on his face as Rick plunges his knife into the man’s other eye. In a second he can breathe again and he shoves the alpha off of him, snarling and getting to his shaky feet to watch as the now blind alpha writhes on the floor in pain. “Get your hands off of my omega.” Rick snarls, moving above the Governor to yank free his blade and then point his python down at his chest. The shot is quick but the Governor’s death won’t be, not with a hole in his ribs and bleeding out slowly on the ground.

There’s no time to stand and gloat over their success, right now the prison is still under fire and the tank is smashing down their last line of fences, leaving the entire building open to the walkers that are steadily moving closer. Daryl’s mind is overwhelmed with worry and he’s running through the yard, grabbing the Governor’s gun and firing at the rival pack, taking them down as he tries to get back inside and find his kits. Rick is on his heels, firing at more of them and calling out for anyone, everyone to get to the cars and get out of here.

He can see some faces he recognises from the Woodbury folk, he catches glimpses of some of the original pack but there’s no time to stop. The gunfire continues, the tank is still firing and the stench of blood and death is rife in the air. Daryl doesn’t want to stop and look at the bodies he has to jump over to get inside but he can feel his chest tighten because he knows they can’t have all gotten out of this unscathed. He’s scared for all of them but the terror that grips his body when he thinks of his kits shakes him to the core.

There’s yelling around him, but he’s deaf to it all, dodging walkers, firing bolts when he has to and stabbing when he can. He knows Rick is behind him all the way as he skids around corners and darts down hallways, slamming doors open and uncaring of how desperate he is. It’s hard to breathe when he gets to the nursery, ripping down the drapes to reveal an empty cell.

The kits aren’t here, there’s no one around the area at all and all the supplies are gone. He has a tiny hope that maybe someone had taken them and gotten them out but then he can smell it, the blood, and the blanket they’d been rolling about on outside is there, shoved to the floor and spattered in blood. Choking on a sob he feels himself crumple, dropping to his knees and howling as he clutches at the fabric. The blood is deep red against the soft baby blue of the blanket, stained and letting every fear he’s ever had come to the surface.

“Dad!” Comes a cry and though he doesn’t turn around Daryl knows Carl is here and he can hear when the kid sees what’s happened. “Oh my God…”

“Carl what are you doing here?” Rick doesn’t have time for him right now, not when his son is here and seeing the panic running through him and the blood that’s over the blanket. Daryl wishes he knew what had happened but instead he’s slumped on the floor clutching a bloody blanket and hating that with no scent to follow there was no way he could track his own kits. “You’re supposed to be somewhere safe.”

“Dad there is nowhere safe.” Carl chokes and Daryl can feel when his little alpha moves to wrap his arms about his neck, a hug from behind when he feels so hollow inside. “We’ve got to go, I can’t find mom or Shane or anyone. We’ve got to go, we’ve got to go now before we get surrounded.” The kid sobs and Daryl has never felt as lost as he feels right now.

Everything he’d finally found he needed was gone and here he was, an omega with no pack, no kits and no future. Howling in anguish he can barely focus when Rick grabs at him, both of his alpha’s propping him up and trying to get him to release the blanket from his grip. He can’t let go, not when this is all he has left of his kits and their memory.

“Daryl, Daryl you need to let go.” Rick hisses in his ear. His alpha is also crying but it’s not gut wrenching sobs, they’re the silent tears of an alpha who was battling through his own grief to try and protect his own. Another explosion wracks the prison and he can hear as the building around them starts to crumble, rocking on its foundations and turning to dust. “We need to get out of here.”

He doesn’t want to leave, he doesn’t want to abandon all he has left of the kits when there’s nothing else left for him in this world. His alphas are grabbing at him, Carl dragging him as Rick keeps him upright and they get him out of the building, down the back of the grounds and away from the prison. The tears don’t stop, he can barely breathe he’s so lost right now and his body just does what his alphas tell it to do.

They keep him moving, they push him and though there are no words to describe his grief and he can’t speak right now, he can feel what they’re not saying to him. They’re alone. It’s the three of them out here in the world now, with walkers following them, only a few pockets full of ammo and no idea where their pack is or how many of them have survived. They’d managed to go from a pack of over fifty, to just three of them in a matter of minutes and he stumbles over the wooden slats of the train tracks as his alphas keep him moving. He feels weak and lost, hollowed out from the inside and running on empty as he’s dragged forwards.

Carl and Rick stop with him after a while as he pauses for a moment on the hilltop, standing on the train tracks and looking back at the prison. It’s a smouldering mess, crumbling walls, smoke reaching high into the clouds and a lost future. He feels sick, thinking of how they’d been making plans this morning, how Carl had been marking their territory as an alpha in training and he’d been rolling about in the grass with the kits as his alphas tended to the farm. It had been a future, a life, something to hang onto during the dark nights and now here they were. Out in the world alone and lost without any idea of what had happened or whether their pack was alive and safe.

“Daryl, don’t look back.” Rick says to him, placing a hand on his shoulder and squeezing lightly. It’s meant to be comforting, but Daryl doesn’t know if he’ll ever feel normal again, not when his heart is this broken. “Don’t look back.”

He turns around and continues walking with his alphas alongside him, not looking back. But he doesn’t know how he can possibly look forward either.


	18. Shift

Walking is easier to focus on than the thoughts in his head. Daryl keeps his eyes on his feet, shuffling over the dirt path, kicking up gravel and dust and letting the pain in his neck distract him. The world around him is quiet, there’s nothing but birds in the trees and the sound of the breeze through the leaves mixing with the sound of their footsteps. He’s always been able to tell the pack apart from the way they walked and right now he can locate Rick and Carl without having to look up.

His alpha leads the way, his footsteps strong and steady as always, driving him forward almost as if he’s still heading for an attack and not just wandering into the unknown. Rick’s footsteps are loud in his ears, something to keep him with the here and now and something to follow. It’s Rick’s place at the head of the pack, even if it was only three of them now he was made to be there. He has never ever doubted his alpha and even after everything that’s happened he still trusts Rick to lead them down the right path.

Carl’s footsteps are lighter than his father’s but full of stress. Daryl can hear how he kicks through the dirt, scuffing his heels and he knows the fledgling has probably got his hands in his pockets and is looking sullen and lost. It’s how Daryl feels as well but he’s not willing to show it, not when he can just bury it all down inside himself and lock it away for good. Carl is young, strong willed and stubborn, he knows the kid is upset but he also knows that this isn’t going to break him, the kid, his little alpha is too tough to be broken by something like this.

Not like him.

Daryl feels hollow. It’s a strange feeling, almost as if he’s not there at all, if it weren’t for the pain and bruises around his neck and the familiar thud of the crossbow hitting his back he doesn’t know if he’d accept that this was reality. It all still could be a bad dream, something that’s haunting his sleep and making him curl closer to Merle and any minute now he’d be woken up by his brother’s arm around his back and the sound of the kits calling for him.

Except he won’t and this isn’t going to all go away for them. This is what’s happening, this is their new future and it doesn’t matter how much he doesn’t want it, this is what’s happening. It’s the three of them out here on the road again, the world is going to continue turning, nothing is going to stop for them and give them time to recover from what’s happened. They have to do what they do best and survive.

He follows in the order they’ve naturally fallen into, with Rick leading, Carl as his father’s second and leading their omega through the fucked up world. The roads are the same as they always are, dusty and rough, Daryl takes the time to match his steps to theirs, treading into Rick’s footprints and trudging after them. Dirt tracks become tarmac, the middle of nowhere becomes a small neighbourhood and Rick is leading them towards a house.

It’s as if he moves on autopilot, helping the two of them clear the house, checking each room before locking down the door. They’re all exhausted, it’s been a stressful day and the hours are drawing it down to evening. The air cools around them, winter catching in the air and Daryl knows they’re going to have to start scavenging for warmer clothes soon enough if they’re going to remain out here. It hurts to have to plan for a new future, not when he’d been so set on a different one before.

Daryl sets himself away from the alphas, Rick takes the couch, Carl is on the floor and he moves to the corner of the room. Right now he doesn’t need to be near them, not when he’s feeling like this and it’s easier to just switch off. Pressing back against the wall he lets his eyes close as he watches them take a rest, knowing he needs the protection of his alphas, but not willing to take it at the moment.

The sound of yelling wakes him up and for a second he feels like a teenager again. It doesn’t even surprise him and he merely opens his eyes slowly to watch the father and son across the room fight. Carl is growling and snarling at his father, calling him out on a lot of his choices and clearly letting his upset about everything out in angry. Daryl thinks he gets it from Shane and watches without any fanfare as Carl storms off, claiming to need a break and going hunting for food. He can see the hesitation in Rick’s eyes as he glances over to him, forced to decide between his son and his omega and who to protect right now.

He doesn’t even allow himself to get worked up about it, instead he simply shrugs and nods to the doorway, letting Rick make the better choice. Carl was in the danger zone, he was inside their secured house and more able to defend himself if need be. It shouldn’t even be a choice but his fucking scent makes Rick hesitate before following his son into a world that could get him killed. It pisses him off and when he’s on his own he decides to explore the house to distract himself.

It’s a boring house, the usual happy family place with a room each, a pink coloured bathroom and not a lot of any value. The place isn’t covered in blood, the residents must have left before anything bad happened here so at least the place smelt nice enough. Scanning through closets he grabs a rucksack, some spare shirts they could use for various things as well as a jacket for Carl. It’s not the greatest house to go through but there’s a box of dry cereal, some kitchen knives they could use, string he could fashion into a snare and some wire. It’s enough for the moment and he lets himself trudge back downstairs slowly, dragging the back behind him and pausing at the family picture smiling to him on the stairway.

They all look so happy, smiling down to him and holding each other, the picture perfect mom dad and a couple of kids all so happy and alive. He swings the bag at the image, shattering the glass, smashing the frame and letting his boots crunch onto the remains as he goes back to the living area they’ve been resting in. The place still smells of pack, it’s stale but he knows this was a happy family home, something he’s never going to have because all of his chances had been snatched away from him in a matter of hours.

Moving to the front porch he sits and waits, watching out for his alphas and hating what his life had become. He was an omega on the road, bereft of everything except his alpha and his little alpha to cling to. Neither of them understood his position and for the first time in a long time he hates what he is.

Out here in the open he was nothing more than a problem for them to deal with and he despises himself for it. Right now they didn’t have time for him to be needy and clingy, to be upset and a grief ridden problem that they have to think about every single moment of the day. He can’t be an omega out here, especially not without a pack to defend him. It had been hard enough that first winter with the pack, so with just the three of them he’d probably manage to get them all killed.

It wasn’t like he hadn’t done it before, most of his life he’d tried to be an alpha and he remembers how much safer it was for him to act that way around others. Out here they didn’t need him whining and begging for comfort, they needed him to be strong and take care of himself for the moment. He could do that if that was what was needed, he’d just gotten too comfortable in his omega position and right now they needed him to be something else. Alpha behaviour would keep what he had left alive easier so he’d just have to stop playing games and do what was needed.

The day is wearing on when Rick and Carl return, the two of them holding each other and he can see that Carl has been crying. It makes him feel a little on edge but he ignores the shiver that runs through him, having an alpha worried was never a good thing and his little alpha was clearly distressed over what had happened. He watches as Rick ushers the kid inside before pausing to sit beside him on the front porch, the two of them staring out to the world beyond them in silence for a while.

“He’s worried about you.” Rick says, and Daryl can feel the way his eyes creep over his body, assessing the damage he’d taken and noting the bruises upon his neck. “We both are Daryl, you haven’t said a thing since…” He trails off, because neither of them needs to hear him recall what had happened. They both know, the memory will be seared into their heads for the rest of their lives so there’s no need to say it. “I know this is hard, I know Daryl, they were my pack and my kits too.”

He pauses to glance at Rick for a moment, just looking over the other man’s face and seeing just how much stress is there. Rick looks old and he’s never seen that before, his alpha looks tired and worn out, as if he was finished with the world. But it’s not enough and Daryl feels the bubble of upset turn to anger at the thought of Rick thinking he knew what he was going through.

They were too different to ever be able to see things from the same perspective. Rick was an alpha, a leader, strong and secure in his position, the kind of man who knew what he wanted and strove forward to get it. Daryl was an omega, a follower, someone who felt far too lost in himself and everything around him to be able to cope with something this emotional. Now he was nothing at all and unable to see a way forwards.

Getting to his feet he tries to walk away from Rick and get back inside, but his alpha grabs his arm and even if he snatches his arm away immediately he still pauses enough for Rick to continue. “Hey, you’re not alone in this Daryl. We’re here, we’re with you and we love you.”

It hurts to hear and it must have been too long since he pretended to be an alpha because he can’t do it. When he speaks he sounds like nothing more than an omega, weak and in need of someone to lead him. “How could you love me?” He asks, and fuck he can’t help it if he takes half a step closer to Rick. “After everything that’s happened?”

When Rick speaks he sounds so confident and sure of himself, standing to place a hand on the back of Daryl’s bruised neck and tug him closer. “You’re our omega Daryl, of course we love you.” Rick reassures him and Daryl can’t help but want to bury closer to the scent of his alpha.

“I had one job Rick.” He shakes his head, and the tears from before are back again, hitting the back of his eyes and creeping forward until they’re falling down his cheeks. “One job as an omega, to breed with my alphas, to have their kits and raise a litter. That’s it, that’s all I had to do and I couldn’t do that.” Daryl hiccups and when Rick tugs him closer he doesn’t resist, letting himself fall into his alpha’s body and cling to his shirt. “Then when I had a chance to save us all, I couldn’t even give myself up properly.”

Above him he can feel Rick shake his head, a rumble in his chest of anger but it’s not directed at Daryl completely. He knows it’s Rick’s protective streak flaring up and it shouldn’t feel so good to be protected by this man. “This is not on you Daryl.”

He shivers a little, his body having forgotten how good it felt to be here in Rick’s arms, cared for and loved with his alpha’s promises of protection around him. “Of course it is, I was nothing but a bargaining chip and I still fucked it up!” He sobs, hating the guilt that churns inside of him. “I could have done something! I should have gone past the fence and gone belly up for him or something, now they’re all dead because of me Rick! Our entire pack is dead, my kits are dead and now we’re out here with nothing!”

It’s all too much and he descends into tears, burying himself in Rick’s neck, into the scent of his alpha and promises of love and safety. He feels pathetic, he feels small and useless, like nothing more than a lost soul that can’t fix anything himself. Rick is his rock, the one stable thing in his life that he can rely on and he doesn’t care if it’s omega to feel that way, its just how it is. Because as much as he hates it right now, he is an omega and that was the way it was.

Clinging to his alpha he remains there for a while, crying into Rick’s chest and he can not only smell when Carl comes out to see them he can feel when his little alpha hugs him from behind. “We have each other.” Rick sounds so certain and sure of himself. “We’re alive and we have each other Daryl, that’s enough for now. It has to be.” He’s confident and who was Daryl to disagree with his alpha when he sounded so sure?

It’s too much to try and cope with alone so he gives in, burying in to Rick’s embrace and reaching back to clap a hand onto Carl’s shoulder. This is what he has now and all they have is each other. It’s not a lot, but he just hopes and prays that it’s enough. Rick’s right, it has to be.

That night they sleep together, the three of them pressed into each other, their own little pack of three and taking as much comfort from each other’s breaths and body warmth as they can. It’s not the same as before, but nothing was ever going to be the same again. Daryl figures he’s been through so much change in the last years what was a little more?

They gather their things the next day and begin moving on, walking away from the house and moving forwards, unsure what towards but willing to get there together. Being on foot again is something they’re not used to and not having a set territory is difficult to get used to again. Rick and Carl scent as they go, natural habit to mark where they sleep the nights and as a sign to leave for any of their pack heading their way. Each of them spend the time checking for any familiar scents, mostly coming up with walkers and the stench of death and rotting flesh.

It’s hard to get through some days. There will be times that Daryl doesn’t want to move, when the memories of the kits and the hollowness of his life takes hold of him and he can’t physically move from his spot. It hurts to breathe those days and when he really can’t help himself he calls for them, every fibre of his being wishing to hear the familiar calls of the kits from somewhere out there. There’s never a reply and that just makes him feel worse.

His mind cannot stop thinking about the kits, remembering how they would smile to him, how they were learning to crawl and explore and pounce. They were making their own little hierarchy amongst themselves, finding out who they were and even copying him when he scented them despite not having their scent glands developed yet. They were growing into their own individual little people, loved and adored by the pack, chirruping and calling for him when they needed him. They had been his everything for so long and now being without them was heartbreaking.

It’s on the fifth day by themselves that his body begins to rebel against him and he hates himself for it.

It takes him a while to work out what’s happening, it’s been so long since the last time that he can’t remember what it feels like until it all converges into a moment of realisation. He’s padding along behind Rick and Carl, following them as they scent the trees alongside the train tracks and he’s unaware of what he’s doing until he’s pressed against a tree himself. Running his hands over the bark as he follows them, purring and rubbing his face over the wood to mark his own scent. At first it’s nothing, not until he begins picking out Rick’s trees, covering his alpha’s scent with his own and enjoying the scent of Rick rubbing off on himself.

He feels a little warm but he thinks that’s just because of all the walking he’s doing mixed with wearing long sleeves again. Daryl thinks nothing of it and they continue on their way, each of them scenting along the way until they pick a place to rest for the evening. He’s still warm as they curl up together for the night, but it doesn’t stop him burying himself into Rick, losing himself in his alpha’s scent as the three of them sleep through the night.

They hunt, they walk, they scent, they kill walkers they come across and still Daryl doesn’t think anything of it as he walks closer and closer to Rick each day. The warmth continues to flare along his body, Rick scents him more and more often but it’s not until he finds himself trailing his hands over his alpha’s body until he works out what’s happening.

He’s in heat.

It’s been too long since he’s been with the kits, his hormones have changed and shifted within him, leaving his body feeling in need of fulfilling its role on this earth. He’s an omega and he was made to breed.

Immediately he pulls himself away from Rick, jerking back and stumbling away, weaving his fingers into his own hair and tugging on it in distress as it all falls into place. He was stuck out here on the road with his alpha, his little alpha and no way to stop himself from going into heat. This wasn’t going to pass in a few days, they had a week of him getting worse and worse and with no chance of them being able to knot safely and without the potential to get him pregnant again.

They don’t have time for him to be in heat and he feels sick at the thought. Every part of him wants to stick close to Rick, to bury himself into his alpha and whine until he was taken deeply and hard, but they can’t, no matter how much it burns inside of him. Each day it gets worse, his skin feels warm to the touch and his body wants more and more of his alpha for himself. He sleeps in fits and starts, unable to relax when Rick was so near, whining to himself and ending up writhing against the floor to mark his area, to let his alpha know he was available for him.  

Daryl knows he’s not the only one having a hard time dealing with this situation. Rick scents him deeper every day and he can feel when his alpha doesn’t want to pull away, when the growls and snarls want to become bites and thrusts against his body. But Rick does what is right and restrains himself, pulling away and stalking further ahead as he leads their pack, putting more distance between them and trying desperately to focus on anything other than the scent of want and need pouring off of him.

It’s hard to cope for the pair of them, they’re both getting more and more frustrated the further he gets into his heat, the pair of them unable to get at all close in case they give in. Daryl and smell the tension and anxiety within Carl at their behaviour, he feels sorry for the kid but there’s nothing he can do about it. If there was a way to switch it off he’d do it, because right now it’s nothing but a problem that has him whimpering in his sleep and panting desperately for it. His little alpha is uncomfortable and the worst part of it all was, Carl wasn’t really a fledgling anymore.

The kid was growing up, scenting in his own right, defending him as well as he could and offering his protection to Daryl at every opportunity. He hopes to ignore the silent problem between them but one night it gets out of his hands completely.

They sleep apart now, Rick on one side of the clearing, Daryl on the other and Carl between the pair of them as a physical barrier. It’s worked so far and any time they’ve unconsciously drawn nearer to each other Carl had growled at the intrusion to his sleep and kept them apart. But this night is different, when he’s in the peak of his heat, scenting everything he can and wanting to just roll over and spread himself for Rick because he’s so wet. They sleep as well as they can, but he’s on edge, writhing in his sleep, fidgeting and scenting the ground beneath him unconsciously, desperate for his alpha to take him.

A weight presses against his back, warm and automatically he moans at the touch, his body desperate for anything he can get. Pressing back he gives a small whine, half asleep and flushed with heat, gasping when cool fingers move beneath his shirt to run over his sides. It feels better than he could ever imagine and he arches back a little, feeling his body respond to it all, making him wetter and want to take his alpha deep and hard inside of him. There’s a groan behind him, a tiny buck against his rear and his alpha moves to scent his neck, licking over his still bruised skin before rubbing his face there. That’s when Daryl realises it’s not Rick’s scent he’s being marked with.

Instantly he’s awake, scrambling away and gasping for air, his face flushed in excitement, cock hard in his pants and leaving him ashamed of himself for his reaction. The noise has awoken Rick and his alpha is growling in the dark, snarling at them both and Daryl backs away further, desperate for some space to come to terms with what had just happened. Rick hadn’t been pressed against him, his alpha hadn’t been grinding against him and moaning into his neck, holding him steady and scenting him in preparation for a mating.

It had been Carl instead.


	19. Split

Shane has been running for a while now.

Behind him the smoke still plumes from the destroyed prison, he can hear the growls of the walkers behind him as he runs and he knows that if he should turn back now he’d see nothing left of what they had built. It was all gone. Everything that he and Rick had worked towards making for their pack had been destroyed and now here he was on his own and in the danger zone.

He’s never really been on his own before. He and Rick had been friends since before they’d even presented and when they’d both shown to be alphas it had been natural for the two of them to remain brothers in arms and find a pack to share between them. They’d done everything together, college, training, joining the force, they’d lived together and been side by side for so long that Shane almost expected to look to his side and find Rick in his natural position beside him.

But he’s not and right now he’s alone and though he doesn’t want to admit it; he’s afraid.

They had not been expecting or been prepared well for an attack. They’d thought the Governor was gone, he and Rick had been ready to call off the search and keep their minds focussed on other things. The farm had been growing well, everyone was settling into their place and things were good, things had been safe for all of them. Now he didn’t know where Rick, Lori or Carl were, let alone the rest of the pack, and even worse he didn’t know where the kits were.

Biologically he knew only two of the kits were his, but the fear extends beyond his two daughters and he’s terrified for all of them. He knows Daryl hadn’t been near them and that worries him even more. A litter of kits without their sires or birth parent near them would be a handful and though he knows the betas could handle the kits, he’s so terrified that maybe no one had gotten to them. There was no way he could go back to them and he’s scared for them and everyone else he’d come to consider ‘his’.

The battle had been bad, he’d had to take down so many people but when the tank had come down on them their ranks had been scattered. He remembers Merle yelling, the screaming of children mixed with the sounds of death and walkers around him. Shane had done everything he could, ordering everyone to retreat, trying to get them all to safety and onto the bus, onto any vehicles and away from the danger advancing on them.

Everyone had split, following his orders, he remembers seeing Glenn in the fray running back into the buildings, Maggie on his heels and the two of them running from danger. Merle had been screaming for his brother between taking down walkers, there had been death and fear in the air, the scent of death making it hard to pinpoint anyone’s position and leaving him running for his life when the tank had taken their home from them. Now here he was, alone and desperate.

He makes sure to scent as he goes, calling every so often when he’s free of walkers and trying to make contact with the pack. It doesn’t work for a while and each time he gets no reply the terror grips him a little more. He’s never been so good at being alone, he needed Rick beside him to keep him in line, to help nudge him towards the right decisions and stop him from getting lost in his emotions. They worked as a pair and Rick led for a reason; because it worked better that way. He knew it and though sometimes he’d push his limits and try to take the lead, he knew Rick would be there to make him back down.

Leaning against a tree he pants for breath, whining for the pack, whining for Rick, for Lori, for Carl, for his pack within a pack and his kits and omega and everyone else he loved and adored. It had been his job to protect them all and here he was, on his own with no idea if they were safe. Punching the tree he gets out his frustration in the way he knows how, yelling out his rage, snarling and growling in anger until he can breathe a little easier and see a little straighter.

Then he catches the scent in the air and a flare of hope blooms within him.

It’s weak, barely there but he knows that scent. A mix of Daryl and freshness, there’s a blankness there that lets him know it’s not his omega, but one of the kits instead. Keeping his wits about him he begins following the scent, heading in the direction where it’s the thickest and following the trail as best he can. Over time there’s a mix of scents adding to it, the scent of an alpha scenting, a fledgling’s innocent smell and a related but young alpha alongside.

Shane moves quicker, heading in their direction and clinging to hope. He knows they’re his pack, he knows those scents and they’re his. Hours pass and he knows he must be getting closer, the scents are stronger, but there’s also the mix of death and rotting flesh that follows the walkers around constantly. With a growl he picks up his pace, wanting to get to them sooner, needing to find them and protect them as well as he can. Then there’s a scream and the sound of a baby crying and he’s sprinting towards them, begging his feet to move faster and desperate to reach and protect his pack.

He doesn’t know who he’s protecting, he just kills as many walkers as he can, growling and snarling as he meets them, tearing their heads open until he’s covered in congealed blood and brain matter, panting in the woods and trying to focus again. Everything is a blur until he’s surrounded by corpses, his knife is bloody in his hand and his gun is held tightly in his grip, ready to fire and protect his own even if it means drawing attention towards them.

“Alpha!”

The calls break through his mind and he turns to the voices, hearing the baby cry and rushing towards his pack members. The girls cling to him, Lizzie and Micah scared but glad to see him, grabbing onto his shirt and pressing close, burying themselves in his scent as he reaches to grab the crying baby in Lizzie’s arms. He can’t believe he’s found Judith, his eldest daughter is here and safe, upset and crying in his arms, but calming a little as he buries his face in her neck. She’s alive and breathing, in his arms and he knows that at least like this he can keep them safe.

There’s the sound of someone approaching and he snarls, holding Judith close and nudging the girls behind him for safety. He’s ready with his knife and he’d kill for these girls if necessary but when the stranger approaching turns out not to be a stranger at all he gives a small sigh of relief. Tyreese grins upon seeing him, almost laughing in relief as they meet, pressing their foreheads together in mutual greeting and sharing the scent of pack.

It’s not the whole pack, it’s not even the closest members but right now Shane will take what he can get and right now he’s holding onto his daughter and that’s enough. It has to be enough.

\---

The order had come to retreat but they’d both known they couldn’t just up and run. She remembers chasing after Glenn as they’d both bolted inside the building, ignoring the smoke from the attack and heading back inside the prison walls. Maggie’s entire mind had been focussed on her family, on getting her father and Beth out of there safely along with the rest of the pack. The place had been a wreck, she’d taken down some walkers, followed Glenn in to their cellblock and found the betas and her father huddled around the litter and trying to defend them from an influx of walkers.

They’d fought and they’d fought hard, taking down as many as they could along with her father, Beth, Lori and Carol, the betas trying to protect the kits they’d been given the job of protecting. But there were no divided roles anymore, it was kill or be killed and get the hell out of the danger zone.

“Get the kits and get out!” She’d yelled, taking down another walker with a knife to the face and shooting at the doorway where the rival pack members surged forwards to attack them. Between the strangled groans of walkers and the screams of pain from the humans left she knows she’d seen Beth crying and though she’d wanted to get to her sister she’d been busy shoving Lori and Carol out of the back door. They’ve got two of the kits, one in each of their arms as they move, backpacks already on and darting from the danger zone as she sees Michonne grab them from outside.

She’d gone to run back, needing to get to Beth and her dad when it had happened. The ceiling had caved in, crumbling between them after another shot from the tank and someone is grabbing at her shoulder. “Maggie! Maggie we’ve gotta go!” Glenn is in her ear and there’s screaming, crying from the kits around them and she can’t see what’s happening through the smoke. Fingers grab her shirt, yanking her back, more join in and soon she’s outside, being dragged away from her family and praying for their safety.

It’s all a blur as they move, running as fast as they can away from the remains of the prison, letting the cover of the surrounding woods keep them safe from prying eyes. The walkers are distracted by the scent of death around them and it’s not until they hit a dirt road that Maggie takes a moment to breathe. They’re alive but she’s not relieved at the moment, it’s all too much and she can’t think straight as she tries to focus on what’s happened.

Everything they’d had was gone, and now they were out here.

Beside her Glenn is breathing heavily, pressing against her side for the stability of an alpha as he cradles Eli close. The kit is whimpering, clinging on to Glenn’s shirt and chewing on his own fist, clearly scared but unsure as to what was going on. She’s grateful that he’s not crying too loudly and drawing attention to them. On her other side is Sasha, the other woman has tears in her eyes and Maggie knows that she’s worried for her brother, littermates were always close and she knows the pain of not knowing a sibling’s fate.

Reaching out she takes Sasha’s hand, tugging her close and stopping them both from looking at the cloud of smoke that plumes into the air above them. She’s never been in charge before despite being an alpha. Before now there had always been her father or Rick and Shane, she fell into line behind them and though she had Glenn as her own mate she’d never done more than give advice for things like this. But now was the time to step up and they were depending on her to step into her place as an alpha for them.

“We follow the road.” She nods to herself, turning back from the prison and beginning to trail down the path before them, tugging Sasha along with her and knowing that Glenn would follow her to the end of the world. “We head for the bus and hope to catch up with the Woodbury pack members further down the way.” Because of course there had been a plan before but they’d thought they were going to have vehicles to aid them in their journey.

Still they had a destination in mind and that was better than nothing. She just had to lead them down the road and hope the others would meet with them, find them and they could work together. It’s terrifying being in charge by herself and she eagerly takes Glenn’s hand when it’s offered, holding on to both of the betas as tightly as they hold on to her in return.

They had each other and that would have to do for the moment.

\---

Carol has spent a lot of her life afraid and unsure of what the future held, but right now she feels sick with worry. This wasn’t like a day of wondering when Ed’s fists were going to beat her senseless or trying to guess if Ed would keep his wandering eyes away from her daughter’s petite form; this was pure uncertainty. Michonne leads the way, her katana swinging ahead of her, cutting the way through the swaths of walkers and keeping the path clear for her and Lori to run through, huddling the kits closer to their chests and trying to find a sense of what’s happening.

She knows the prison is lost, but that’s about it and she can feel Lori’s fear, she can smell it in the air, mixed with smoke and death around them. There’s only the three of them, alone in the woods and looking for an idea of what to do. Herself and Lori are betas, clinging to the children in their arms, muffling their sobs as Michonne heads their miniature pack into the unknown. She’s scared, terrified of what was going to happen to them and the kits and what had happened to everyone else.

Michonne is quiet after the walkers are down and it gives them a moment to catch their breath and soothe the kits, taking a few minutes to stabilise themselves. She feels shaky and beside her she can smell the fear coming off of Lori in waves.

“Carl, did either of you see Carl? Or Rick? Or Shane? What happened?” Her voice is shaking and Carol can see the way the woman focuses on keeping Luke calm in her arms, rocking him and soothing him into content burbles. It’s not a lot but it’s something and she’s grateful that they have some hope to cling to right now.

“We were attacked.” Michonne’s voice is quiet and the alpha is tense, keeping on her toes with her blade unsheathed, ready for another attack and never relaxing. “After the fences went down we were told to retreat.”

There’s no mention of the men Lori had asked after and Carol reaches out to place a hand on her friend’s shoulder to offer her silent strength. It didn’t mean the worst, it meant they just didn’t know right now was all. “What about everyone else? The bus? The other kits? The pack?” Carol asks, wanting to know if they had something to go on, something to cling to right now when they had two kits and no ideas of where to go.

“I don’t know.” Michonne won’t meet their eyes and it’s scaring her. After living with Rick and Shane as their leaders for so long she was used to their way of leadership and having Michonne be so quiet was frightening her more than she was already.

Lori sobs beside her, covering her mouth with her hand to try and stifle the sounds, looking back at the smoke curling above the trees before speaking. “What do we do? Do we go back?” Carol watches Michonne for an answer, used to alphas having all the answers and following their lead.

“No.”

“Michonne?” She doesn’t like this. The way the alpha is acting is frightening and though she knows Michonne was a rouge before all this she’d thought the alpha had settled in their pack enough to be comfortable. Something was wrong and she wasn’t sure she wanted to know what it was. “Michonne what happened?”

“Andrea is dead.”

A crushing pain courses through her and Carol wants to howl in grief, but now was not the time, not when they were not safe in the slightest. Beside her Lori chokes on a sob, burying her face into Luke’s neck as Carol tightens her grip on Maddy, their last link to Andrea left in this world. “Michonne, what happened?” She asks, and it’s stupid, knowing wouldn’t make anything better but for some reason she has to known, if not for herself then for the baby in her arms.

“She got shot in the attack.” Michonne closes her eyes for but a moment, there’s a stillness to her for a second that’s frightening but then she’s moving, sheathing her sword and nodding for them to follow. “We need to move. Come on.”

Carol doesn’t like the coldness of the alpha they’re following right now, she doesn’t like that she has no idea how to help right now or that all she knows is to keep the kits safe. Beside her Lori takes her hand and they follow, two betas following an alpha and hoping, praying for a miracle of some kind to bring their pack back to them. But right now there was only the three of them and two kits and she would take that for now and grab hold with both hands.

And pray that it was enough.

\---

Merle has never had a pack before all of this. He’d never really liked the idea of it, and with Daryl being what he was he knew there wasn’t much of a choice for him. To keep his brother safe he’d never settled, because he knew if he was going to join a pack then his brother would be there with him and there was no pack where Daryl would have been safe. Merle had spent his life roaming, visiting Daryl when he could, spending time in prison where there were no packs, and learning to live by himself. Some would call him a rogue; he just liked to think he was picky.

Now here he was, part of a pack that he actually kind of liked, and able to stay close to his brother and know that he was safe with these people. He’d never asked for this but there was a fear in his belly, a curling seed of panic and worry that he can’t let go of when he doesn’t know where the rest of the pack are. Of course he calls for Daryl, trying to hunt out his little brother whilst taking out the rival pack, tossing a grenade down the barrel of the tank and heading inside. If there was somewhere Daryl would be it would be with his kits but when he gets inside he can only see rubble and smoke.

Calling for Daryl he chokes on the taste of ash and dust, trying to wave it aside and growling when someone stumbles into him. Grabbing the other person he snarls in their face, peering at them through the dim light and finding Milton babbling up at him. Shoving the other man aside he can hear the crying of one of the kits, there’s a small sobbing alongside and he tries to find where they are.

A walker stumbles out through the dust, moaning with blood dribbling down its chin and Merle doesn’t want to know who it last fed on.

“Merle!” Calls and voice and he finds himself scrabbling forwards with Milton on his heels, sticking close to the only alpha around in fear. Merle doesn’t question it and lets him remain close when he finds who’s calling for him. Hershel has been bit, he’s bleeding from the shoulder and gripping his crutch to himself with one hand and holding a squirming kit with the other. The old alpha has his youngest daughter pressed to him, she’s in tears, sobbing and making no effort to get away from the potential danger. Hershel nudges at her, offering her the baby from his arms and trying to meet her eyes. “Go with him Bethie.”

“Daddy no!” Beth cries out, clinging to her father in desperation.

Hershel’s voice is calm despite the situation and Merle notes that the man doesn’t even flinch at the building crumbles around them. He can feel the shake in the ground as the foundations start to give way, as the weight of it all begins to press down on the building work. “There’s no time, take Lily and get out, get safe.” Milton grabs at his side and Merle doesn’t push him away as Hershel kisses his daughter’s forehead, stroking his bloodied fingers through her hair in farewell. “Merle will protect you, won’t you Merle?”

And despite it all he finds himself nodding, grabbing the sobbing girl by the arm and yanking her closer, ignoring the hollering of Lily in her arms and shoving her towards Milton. He takes a moment, ignoring the two betas and focussing on the dying man before him, surprised to see a pained but strong smile on his face. Hershel looks strong even when dying and a part of him admires him for that. Reaching out with his good hand he grips at Hershel’s bloody fingers for a split second before leaving, shoving the two betas out ahead of him and getting them out to safety.

Behind them he can hear the building starting to fall, rubble and dust spilling into the air as they fight their way free. He takes down more walkers from their path, kicking them aside, using his bayonet attachment to put them down, not wanting to waste the few bullets they have left. Taking point he can hear the two betas following him further into the woods, a place he knew well, somewhere he knew he could survive despite it all.

He hates it. Because this hadn’t been the plan but here they were, alone and lost in the world with no idea where to go. Scanning the area he can’t see any more walkers for the time being, they’re probably too distracted by the prison and fresh blood for the moment. Breathing heavily he can hear the betas collapse to the floor behind him, catching their breath as he stands watch, Beth not bothering to muffle her sobs that mix with Lily’s cries.

Merle paces, all anger and upset mixing into a ball of frustration that he has to get out. “Fuck!” He screams to the sky, still keeping his eyes open for danger and the potential for other pack members to show up. They don’t and all hope begins to die within him when he realises he has no idea what the hell to do or where the hell to go now. “Fuck fuck fuck!”

The clouds have no answer, neither do the trees so Merle continues pacing, trying to find some way to cope with the new situation. Normally he’s by himself, he can deal with himself because there was only one plan; to survive. But now here he was with two betas and a baby that he was responsible for as the only alpha and fuck the only other person he’d ever had to look after before was Daryl and his brother was a stubborn son of a bitch anyway. And for all he knew Daryl was already dead.

“Merle, what do we do?” Milton asks from the ground, sitting there covered in dirt and dust, his glasses askew on his nose and looking completely out of place. Merle hates that, because there was no place for the nerdy little man anymore and if they were going to do this then they’d have to toughen up and get used to living on the road and surviving.

Growling a little, mainly to himself, he answers still frustrated and worried for the others. “You need to learn to fucking shoot and defend yourself.” Pointing his bayonet in Milton’s direction he gestures for him to get up, glad when the beta automatically obeys. Letting the assault rifle lay across his back, Merle yanks the pistol from his belt, shoving it in to Milton’s hands with a sneer. They didn’t have time for a prissy talk through, right now he just felt better knowing Milton was armed and not completely dependant on him. Turning to Beth he grabs her arm, yanking her to her feet and ignoring the fact that his grip will probably bruise her. “You need to quit your crying and shut her up.” Gesturing to the baby he begins pacing again, walking around the area they’re in and keeping an eye out for danger.

“Merle she just lost her father.” Milton points out, clearly uncomfortable with the gun in his hands but trying not to act like it. He steps closer to Merle, pushing his glasses back into place and glancing over his shoulder to where Beth is trying to unsuccessfully hush the baby between her own sobs.

“Yeah?” That triggers his anger and Merle is in the beta’s face, pleased when Milton stumbles back a little in fear at his reaction. “And I don’t know where my baby brother or the rest of the kits are, nor the rest of the pack, you don’t see me crying about it.” He snarls, shoving at the smaller man in frustration.

“Merle?”

The girl’s voice is thick with tears but he doesn’t have time for questions right now. “Thought I told you to shut up?” He sneers at Beth, glaring when the girl watches him, tears running down her cheeks as she hiccups on a sob.

“Merle…It’s Lily…”

The anger vanishes almost immediately and the fear takes over, making him walk over to grab his blood covered niece and hold her close to his chest. She’s still crying, howling in misery to the rest of the world and a mix of Daryl’s scent and Hershel’s from where the old alpha’s blood covers her clothing. Pressing his head to hers he tries to calm her down, listening to the baby as she cries, making the same calls to Daryl as she used to when she was a newborn, calling for her parent and for safety. Hushing her he tries to see what had Beth so shaken up besides the kit being covered in Hershel’s blood and when he finds the reason it’s as if the world goes still around him.

Lily’s been bit.

“No.” It’s not a deep bite, but it’s there. A ring of teeth marks on her side, ripped through her baby gro and bleeding, her own blood mixing with Hershel’s and leaving them unaware of the injury until now. “No.” He mumbles again, keeping his arms wrapped around the crying baby and trying to soothe her as much as he can. Merle feels hollow, he can feel Beth and Milton’s eyes on him but he doesn’t care, keeping the baby close to his neck and rocking her, pacing back and forth and trying to soothe her as he had when she was newborn and being fussy.

He can hear the sobs of Beth behind him and he can smell the upset in the air from the pair of them but he can’t focus on them right now. Lily squirms in his arms, her whimpers catching in her chest as she cries out her pain to him, clinging to the collar of his jacket with her chubby fists. “It’s okay.” He tries to reassure her, bouncing her in his arms and nuzzling at her face a little, trying to offer her a familiar scent to bury herself in. “It’s okay Lily, everything’s going to be okay.” He coos, but the lie is clear in his voice.

Merle knows what has to be done. He knows there’s only two outcomes to all of this and he can’t bear the thought of either of them. But right now he was being made to pick the lesser of two evils. “I know it hurts.” He bounces her again, able to feel the way her blood seeps from her side, trickling over his fingers as he keeps her close. “But Uncle Merle is going to make it all better okay? I’m going to make it stop hurting alright?”

Lily curls against him, sobbing into his chest, her tiny face screwed up in pain and misery, wanting Daryl and unable to have him right now when she needed him most. Merle hushes her again, ignoring the rest of the world and focussing on her for the moment, because she at least deserved that. Stroking her messy hair back from her forehead he presses a kiss there, unable to convey everything he wants her to know in this moment and wishing that there was some way to stop this from having to happen.

The baby’s cries stop and the silence sounds worse than anything else he’d ever heard.


	20. Wild

Daryl has seen Rick fight for him before, he’s watched as his alpha took down Shane and asserted his dominance over his second, but this is different. Carl isn’t his second, Carl isn’t even a fully-grown alpha yet, Carl is Rick’s son and he doesn’t want to see him get hurt because of his stupid heat. Backing up even further Daryl can’t take his eyes off of them as they fight, rolling around on the ground for only a couple of minutes until Carl is pinned down, Rick bearing down over him and snarling loudly at his son.

He feels as if he shouldn’t be a part of this moment, not when Rick was clearly teaching Carl a lesson, this feels too intimate for him to be watching but he can’t help it. It’s all because of him that this has happened and it’s a mix of guilt and shame that sits in his stomach as he watches Carl bare his neck to his father with a whimper. Rick doesn’t waste time and clamps his jaws over his son’s pulse point immediately, the claiming bite firm and a direct reminder of how easily the stronger alpha could have killed their competition if he’d wanted to.

It makes Daryl shudder at the sight and he finds himself getting to his feet, dusting off his pants and able to feel where the fabric of his underwear clings to his skin with dampness. His body is reacting to seeing alphas fight over him, his stupid omega hormones spiking at the sound and smell of a dominant male near to him and making him even wetter. Biting on his lower lip he tries his best to ignore the flare of lust in his belly, panting a little as the heat in his flesh rises when Rick stands over his own son in victory.

“Dad, dad I’m sorry I didn’t mean to.” Carl chokes on his words, clearly close to tears and afraid of his own reactions to the situation they were locked in. Daryl can’t blame the kid, he was still shaken up by it all himself and hating that his body wasn’t flagging from the arousal he’d felt before.

Rick gives a low growl of understanding before helping his son to his feet, leaning down a little to let their foreheads meet and to comfort his heir. “I know but you need to learn your place.” Carl nods immediately, cuffing at his nose and clearly ashamed of stepping out of line. “I know you can’t help it Carl but right now I need you to be strong and fight it.” Rick continues and Daryl can see the strain on his face and that this isn’t easy for the other alpha either. “We can’t afford to do this right now, we have to be strong and stop ourselves.”

Daryl almost flinches when Carl looks over to him, hunger and want obvious in his young eyes and though Daryl knows he should turn away he can’t help but blush at the attention. “But dad I can’t help it, he just smells so good.”

“I know.” And Daryl feels himself flush further as Rick glances over to him, his body practically throbbing in need as his alpha’s gaze spreads over his form. “I know son, but I swear when it’s safe again I will teach you everything you need to know about being an alpha, but this is not the time for it.” The words aren’t meant just for Carl, Daryl knows that and he bites back a moan at the thought of what the statement entails.

Carl was to be his alpha and Rick was to teach him everything that position as the pack’s leader entitled him to. Panting a little Daryl closes his eyes, trying to fight the images that thought brought up and leaning against a tree, digging his nails into the bark to try and distract himself. He should be ashamed of himself for reacting that way, but his body just won’t calm down, clinging to the hope of being mated with and making him want to roll onto his back and spread his legs like a common whore.

Watching two alphas fight over him was more than just exciting; it was intense as hell and made his hormones flare even worse. Rick wasn’t just his alpha, now he was a victor, proving his strength and position over a competitor even if it was his own teenage son. Right now all his body is telling him to do is present himself to the winner and take him deep, to mate in front of the loser as a final stab to his pride and make himself available to the stronger male, to breed the stronger kits. Whimpering a little he presses his forehead to the tree, feeling it dig into his skin and give him something else to think about rather than the image of Rick standing over his competition.

They couldn’t do this, not right now, not without protection or anywhere safe to remain knotted afterwards. His body just wouldn’t stop for a moment and give him a break and he hates that part of himself so much. He’s so caught up in his own turmoil that he barely realises that Rick is beside him until he catches the scent of his alpha there, making him try to snarl out a warning for getting to close even when he just wanted to spread himself for him.

“Omega, you need to be strong too.” And fuck when Rick calls him that Daryl knows he’s serious and not in the mood to be pushed. He can’t help it any more than they can though, the shame in his head was battle with the want in his body and right now he wasn’t sure exactly which side of himself was stronger. Still he nods in understanding and clings to the tree a bit harder when Rick moves to scent him.

His alpha smells so perfect to him right now, strong and confident, a victor, a winner of a battle no matter how one sided it was and the alpha his body wanted to submit to right now. Rick’s face rubs over his neck and head, his hands run over his sides hard enough to make him gasp as he erases Carl’s scent from before and Daryl knows he feels Rick’s erection brush over his rear for the briefest second before his alpha pulls away.

It’s almost too much for the pair of them and Daryl feels a mix of relief and annoyance when Rick pulls away with a snarl, frustration clear as he moves to gather his weapons and rucksack. None of them would be getting any more sleep tonight that much is obvious and from his alphas moves he knows they’re going to be continuing their journey to take their minds off the problem he was being.

Digging his nails into his palm to centre himself Daryl snatches up his bow, letting the heavy weapon settle into his palms, a familiar weight to focus on when his mind was all over the place. He can’t look at Carl as his little alpha takes up position behind Rick, his body and mind are in all out war over what they should be feeling for the kid.

Only he wasn’t a kid anymore, Carl was growing up, past being a fledgling and growing into his role as an alpha everyday. His scent was beyond that of a child; it was full on alpha and strong, a mix of Rick and Shane’s, and fuck if that wasn’t the most intoxicating scent to him at the moment. The kid was practically an adult, if not in age than in other ways, ways that were far more telling than some stupid number or age. Carl was maturing quickly, and Daryl knew that between the scenting and protection that the young man had been providing him with lately, Carl saw Daryl as his.

Sure between Rick, Shane, Andrea and the other alphas in their pack Carl was far down the pecking order, but right now with only the three of them out here he’d moved up the list quite fast. It must be hard for the kid and maybe this situation of it just being the three of them had quickened Carl’s hormones into reacting faster and getting him ready to assume his position as heir sooner than predicted. Daryl knows the kids hadn’t meant to challenge Rick’s position as first alpha, but between the heat and teenage hormones he couldn’t really blame the kid for reacting how he had.

Daryl can remember when Merle was a teenage alpha, horny as hell and desperate to claim everything he could as his. Everything he could get his hands on had been scented, each night he swore Merle would go out and find some desperate beta to screw just to ease his hormones and stop himself from humping his mattress to death. Honestly he’d been lucky they were related so when he’d presented as an omega he’d been safe from his brother’s lust.

Shuddering at the thought he grips his crossbow tighter, not wanting to think of Merle right now when his body was on fire still and he didn’t know if his brother was alive or dead. Stumbling after Carl he finds himself naturally following his alpha’s lead, pressing against the trees they scent and marking them himself, running his sweating palms over the bark until he’s leaving a trail beside theirs. His body fights against him every step of the way and each time he glances up to look at his alphas he can feel his hormones spiking in want, seeing Rick’s shoulders strong as he leads and noting how well Carl’s body has filled out these last few months.

After the past few months of accepting his position in life as an omega he finds himself back at square one and despising how he feels and what his body and hormones are turning him into. If it wasn’t bad enough with it being just the three of them the wind changes direction and he smells it, it’s weak but there and he doesn’t know which direction he wants to head in.

Rick snarls from up ahead, standing tall and scenting the air about him, taking in the new smell and growling at the situation. Carl copies his father, standing on tiptoes to join in and looking worried when he notices what they already know. There’s another pack in the area, a pack of rogue alphas.

Whining a little Daryl can’t help his body’s reaction and he hates that he wants to give in. His heat is at its highest point, making him pant in want every minute and if there were other alphas in the area his body wants to give in to them when his own were not fulfilling his needs. Ashamed of himself he grips the crossbow tighter, bringing himself to here and now and looking to Rick for direction. Right now he needs to focus on his alpha and ignore everything his body is telling him to do.

“No more scenting omega.” Rick snarls, on edge and tense, checking their surroundings and nudging for Daryl to move ahead of Carl in their order. It makes him feel on edge to hear himself referred to by rank and it’s a clear sign that Rick is not in the mood for protest. There’s another swell of want within himself at the name though and he has to swallow it down before nodding, focussing on his bow and being ready to defend himself if need be. “Carl I need you to bring up the rear of the pack, keep your eyes open and protect the omega understand?”

Daryl doesn’t even have to turn to look at Carl to know his little alpha is standing a little taller in pride at being given such an important task. If it were any other time he’d smile to him, give him someone to share his excitement with, but right now he’s too worried to even think of smiling.

They continue walking, checking every vehicle they come across and Daryl can see Rick getting more and more stressed as none of them work. Each moment they pause his alpha scents the air, snarling when the rival pack of rogues’ scent is nearer, closing in on them and following their trail. Daryl knows other packs would steer clear of another alpha’s scent but rogues were different and if they could smell Rick then he knew they could smell him. And all bets were off when there was an omega in heat nearby.

It’s his fault. If only he could have defended the prison better or if his dumb body hadn’t gone in to heat where he couldn’t be claimed and satisfied. His scent was signalling that he had now alpha, meaning others could move in and he was ripe for the taking. Rogues were dangerous and here he was with only Rick and Carl for defence, even his own body was against him, getting wetter as the scent gets stronger and making him want to give in.

They walk closer together and Daryl can see how tense Rick is getting, checking around them more and more, and scenting more trees than before. His alpha is on edge, the scent is getting stronger and he can feel Carl behind him getting more on edge as time passes, his hand no doubt on his gun and ready to do as his father had ordered if need be. It takes everything Daryl has not to beg them to just fuck him and make a claim over his body.

When Rick stops in front of him with a snarl he knows they’ve run out of time and when a large male alpha walks out before them he tenses, holding his bow ready and cursing his body for giving a tremor of want. Rick is like a wall in front of him, growling and snarling in anger, trying to get the other male to back down before this gets out of hand. Daryl can feel Carl come up behind him, pressing against his back, ready to defend the alpha and already holding his gun at his side. It’s not a surprise when his little alpha joins in his father’s growling, clearly not used to making the noise, but giving it all he’s got even as the intruder chuckles.

Others gather around them, circling about them, keeping them closed in and stopping them from fleeing. It’s a hunting move and Daryl lets Rick focus on the pack leader whilst he aims his bow at another one of the men. The pack are dirty, clearly having been on the road for a while and he can tell that they’re men he doesn’t want to be around, especially not when he’s in heat. Still his body reacts and he has to bite his lip to suppress a whimper, hating that he’s wet and wanting over these disgusting assholes that have them surrounded.

Carl presses a little closer to him, his back against Daryl’s side as he keeps one of the packmates in his sights, his gun ready to fire. Again his little alpha snarls, trying to stand taller and look more intimidating than a kid of his age should have to be. It doesn’t work too well and soon enough the pack is laughing around them like a bunch of hyenas on the prowl.

“Well now ain’t that cute?” The leader sneers, a smirk on his face and Daryl tenses a little, knowing that though the man is speaking of Carl, his eyes are roving over his heat flushed body. “Not very threatening though son, you need more practise.” The lead alpha takes a step forward and like that Rick is snarling, mouth open, teeth bared and every bit the protective alpha that Daryl’s body is craving at the moment.

The pack around them shifts a little uneasily and all turn to watch their lead alpha, looking for direction. “Joe?” One of them asks, on edge and looking nervous, Daryl reckons he’s the runt and Carl could probably take him down easily. Their leader smirks, looking a little impressed and Daryl hates when the pack settles again.

“See now that is threatening, but the thing is you’re outnumbered here.” Joe points out, pointing around to the pack and himself, drawing his weapon the same time Rick does and standing firm, legs apart and looking more than a little sure of himself.

Rick snarls again and Daryl watches as the pack fidget again, all with their weapons drawn and ready for a fight if it comes down to it. “Back off.” His alpha growls, reaching a hand back to press against Daryl’s side, scenting him in the heat of the moment and Daryl has to ignore the way his stomach tightens at the touch. “I was taking my son away from the pack to take his first omega. When they get here we won’t be the ones outnumbered.”

Daryl flushes a little at the thought of it but doesn’t speak, he’s got no position here to talk back and right now it would be safer to try and be invisible. His little alpha shifts beside him and he presses closer to Carl, wanting to act as if the story was true and he was preparing himself for the young man beside him. He only wishes they really did have a pack hunting for them right now.

Joe tuts, shaking his head and watching Rick, aware of the tension and danger here. “You’re pretty bad at bluffing son, we know that’s a lie. Been tracking you for a while now and we know you’re all on your own.” Joe smirks, placing his gun back in his holster and trying to look easy going and calm as he speaks. “So we’ve got a deal for you, a way that we all get we want and nobody has to get hurt. You hand over that sweet smelling omega you’ve got there and we let you and your son go.”

“No way, he’s ours.” Carl snarls from beside him and Daryl nudges his side a little, trying to get him to leave the situation to his father and not get distracted from his targets so easily. They can’t afford to lose their focus.

“Now son this is adult alpha business here, you keep your little virgin nose out of it until you’ve collected your first heat.” Joe chuckles and Daryl can feel Rick’s hand grip his side, angry at anyone dismissing his son and heir so easily.

“He’s right.” Rick doesn’t yell, instead his voice is calm and steady and Daryl thinks that’s probably more frightening than if he had raised his voice. “This is our omega and you’re not going to have him.” He sounds so determined and sure of it, and for a moment Daryl feels it might be enough to deter the eager pack around them.

Then Joe laughs and he can feel his stomach churn in a mix of worry and want as the old alpha steps closer to Rick, challenging him outright. “See now I did give you a chance, but my boys and I, well we haven’t had ourselves an omega in a long while and this is a chance that we just can’t ignore.” There’s a pause as the man scents the air, smirking at Daryl and running his tongue over his lips in a way that makes Daryl’s skin flush with heat and shame. “I claim your omega for my own.” Joe growls low in his throat and Daryl readies his bow when Rick holsters his gun, accepting the challenge made.

“He’s already claimed.” His alpha has never sounded more dominating, a quiet anger and strength within him shining through and making Daryl’s scent saturate with want enough to cause the pack surrounding them to fidget. “He’s ours.”

“Not for long.”

It happens in an instant, Rick and Joe clash in a tumble of bodies, hitting the ground hard and each one trying to pin the other. Their teeth snap at each other, a mix of snarls and growls, nails dig into clothing, there are punches and kicks, the scent of blood stains the air and though he wants to watch the fight he has to remain focussed. Around them the pack moves forward, each one growling and looking hungry for him, dangerous and wanting as their alpha fights for their right to his body. They close in and Carl reacts, pressing into Daryl’s body and firing his weapon, taking down two of them instantly as he fires his bow to take down another, not ready to fight fair when it was him on the line.

The pack swarms in on them; Carl is snarling beside him before being pushed away, one of them knocking the weapon from the kid’s hands and taking on his little alpha. Daryl tries to get to him but they’re on him, three sets of hands yank at his vest and he’s ignoring the heat beneath his skin to punch and kick in his defence. They snarl and he snarls back, trying to ignore the instinct to roll over and give in and react like an alpha, kicking and bruising his knuckles on their faces, wanting to cause as much pain as he can to these intruders.

They hit at his ribs, someone hooks his feet out from beneath him and Daryl hisses as he crashes to the floor, automatically rolling onto his back to give himself a chance to fight back. A fist hits his face and he can’t help but bite off a whimper, struggling to kick back at one of them when a weight lands on top of him. He tries, he swears he tries so hard to keep them off of him but he’s outnumbered, hands pin him down and he howls in anger and rage when fingers grab at his belt, yanking his trousers down to expose him as someone keeps him down by the shoulders.

Daryl can’t focus on what’s happening around him, all he can feel is the flush of his skin and the wetness between his legs, the thud of his heartbeat in his ears and the snarls and scuffles of two fights around him. He’s exposed and trying desperately to get up when fingers brush over him, raking over his body and there’s a chuckle above him. He can’t breathe, he can’t do anything more than cry out in desperation when his legs are spread and a rough tongue swipes over him. Everything inside of him knows this is wrong and he wants Rick, he wants Carl, he wants his alphas and though he knows they can’t help right now his instinct panics that they’ve forgotten about him.

Fingers and more tongues join in tasting him, taunting him and moaning above him, none of them high enough in rank to take him properly before their lead alpha, but wanting a taste of a heat flushed omega all the same. He can hear comments about how good he smells and how perfect he tastes, his body shivers despite his upset and he hates himself all the more for everything he is. His howl catches in his throat on a sob, they groan and growl above him and he’s about to give in to tears when he hears a noise he’s only ever associated with walkers before now.

The sound of flesh being torn off of a body.

Hands move from pinning him down and he’s scrabbling away, yanking up his pants to his hips and stumbling across the dirt until he’s pressed against a tree. The pack is whining, howling in upset and when he looks across to where their alphas had been battling he can see why.

Rick stands snarling at them all with blood around his mouth and down his chin whilst the pack’s alpha Joe lies dead on the ground with his throat ripped open.

Daryl can barely process what’s happened but his body isn’t so shaken up, his heat flares again beneath his skin, wanting more so than ever at the show of pure dominance and protection from his alpha. His alpha was the victor, the winner, the strongest of the two of them and now the challenger laid dead because Rick hadn’t wanted to give him up. Because he was Rick’s omega and his alpha hadn’t been willing to lose him. His alpha had killed for him.

The sound of choking cuts in to his thoughts and he’s caught off guard by the cut off yell of pain from another of the pack. There’s a gurgling sound, he can see the spray of blood in his peripheral vision and again there’s a spike of heat beneath his skin when he sees another body fall to the floor at Carl’s feet. His little alpha is panting hard, standing tall like his father with a matching smear of blood over his teeth and chin.

For a moment the world is still around them, the three packmembers that had been holding him down don’t seem to know what to do when faced with his alphas and Daryl can’t help the glee that runs through his chest at the thought of them getting what they deserved. They’d touched him, tasted him and tried to take what was theirs, they had tainted their omega with their touch and a part of him wants to see what his strong and savage alphas were going to do to them now. He shouldn’t be wanting to watch them take their revenge but he can’t look away when Rick and Carl move in on them, each of them looking dangerous and almost out of control as they move.

Carl takes on one of them, snatching up his gun and moving close to take him down, ignoring the begging and pleading of the man before firing right between his eyes. The man goes down and Daryl gives a small whine of approval from where he sits, a fire burning in his veins as he watches Rick move in on the final two. They’re begging for their lives but Daryl can see that there is no mercy in Rick’s eyes, only a hunger to protect what is his and take revenge for what they’d done to him. He watches as his alpha draws his knife and cuts one deep, slicing open his belly and letting his innards fall to the floor, leaving the man slumped in his own organs before he moves to the next. The last one runs, scrabbling in the dirt and darting off down the railway tracks and Daryl watches as Rick gives chase. It’s not a long hunt, Rick dives at the man’s back and has him pinned, plunging the knife into his back multiple times before pulling back, spitting blood on the corpse before heading back over to them.

Getting to his feet Daryl is so flushed he can barely see straight when Rick heads over to them, Carl is still panting heavily and Daryl knows they’re all feeling the same way right now. His skin is practically on fire and he can’t help himself when he whines in the back of his throat, moving closer to Rick and pressing himself against his body, running his fingers over his alpha’s chest and nuzzling at him briefly. Rick growls possessively against him, his hands coming to rest on Daryl’s hips beneath his still open pants and he hisses at the skin on skin contact and the way it makes him pant in need. His alpha moves to scent him, slowly moving his teeth over Daryl’s neck, clamping down over his pulse point and he knows Rick killed others like this, just for him. Rubbing against him he can feel how hard Rick is, pressed against him and groaning low in his throat, needing this, needing him and wanting him as he covers him in his scent and the blood of their enemies.

A small groan from behind him makes Daryl glance back and his body flushes all over when he sees the want in Carl’s eyes. His little alpha is hesitant to move closer, clearly still remembering his place after his father put him there earlier but right now Daryl doesn’t want him away from him, his body is crying out for both of them. Giving in to his instincts he doesn’t care anymore about the consequences of what they do, right now he’s too far gone and he needs this.

Stepping back from Rick he moves to his little alpha, both of them out of breath and lost in their hormones as he begins rubbing over him, mewling in want and need. Knocking aside the sheriff’s hat he moves to nuzzle at his cheek, nudging for the kid to scent him, to claim him properly and assert his right as an alpha. Carl lets out a small groan mixed with a growl but it’s enough and soon the kid is clinging to him, knotting his fingers in Daryl’s shirt and pressing against his body, scenting him and smearing him in blood as they exchange scents.

It’s not long before Rick is there, pressing up behind Daryl and growling a little into his neck, licking over his pulse point on one side as Carl leans up on tiptoes to do the same on the other. For him it’s heaven, being pressed between two of his alphas and owned so entirely but it’s still not enough, not right now, not after everything that has happened. Whining lightly he presses back against Rick, arching against him until he can feel his alpha’s erection pressed against his rear and hear the growl in Rick’s chest.

“Daryl...” Rick warns him but it’s not an order, and right now Daryl is willing to push his luck and do what he needed to get what he wanted.

“They touched me alpha.” He whimpers, pressing back against Rick and making sure to keep his voice small and soft, that of a needy omega and not his usual tone. “They touched me and tasted me, they tasted your omega alpha.” It’s pathetic and usually he’d be ashamed of rolling his hips back against Rick before nudging them closer to Carl, letting his hands slip around his little alpha and tug him closer. But right now he’s so desperate he just doesn’t care. “Please alpha, I want to be yours again.”

Rick growls a little, thrusting against his rear for a moment and scraping his teeth over the bare skin of Daryl’s neck. But then his hands move to grab at Daryl’s pants and yank them back up into place, fastening them as best as he can and leaving Daryl ready to scream in frustration along with Carl. Before he can protest Rick is snarling at them both, asserting his place as their alpha and stepping back from them, wiping at the blood staining around his mouth. “You know we can’t Daryl, we have to be strong, all of us.”

He practically whimpers, slumping against Carl’s body and arching into the heat of it, burying himself in his little alpha’s neck and revelling in the hands still pressed against his chest. Daryl doesn’t know how to tell Rick exactly how badly he needs this, but right now he was close to damn near begging for it and when Carl whimpers and bucks into him a little he knows he’s not the only one about ready to burst. “But alpha…” He whines and when Rick grabs at his shirt and yanks him back and away from Carl he knows he’s pushed too far.

“I said no omega!” Rick grabs him by the tops of his arms but Daryl can feel the way he’s shaking, a mix of anger and want crashing through his body as well. It wasn’t fair on any of them and he has to bite his lip as he lowers his head, baring his neck in supplication to Rick. “We cannot afford to mate you right now, not with other packs around and the possibility of you getting pregnant again.” He knows that, but as much as sense dictates they be careful his body just wants this so much.

Giving in he nods, breathing heavily when Rick lets go of him to begin hunting through the now dead pack’s things. It takes him a moment to get himself under control and he can see that Carl looks as put out as he feels, but the kid falls back in line, ignore the want they share and hunting through rucksacks for supplies. It doesn’t take long before they’re walking again, Rick at the head of the pack, Daryl protected in the middle and Carl bringing up the rear. Daryl hates his body, he hates the fire that burns harshly inside of him and he hates the fact that his underwear sticks to his skin from where he’s so wet and wanting. But Rick is right, there’s no time, it’s not safe and they had to be strong together.

So when Rick slows down to talk to him he stays strong, he doesn’t press against him or drop to his knees and beg to be taken, instead he simply leans a little closer when Rick keeps his voice low between them. “But I swear, when we find somewhere safe and we have protection and the time to do it, I am going to fuck you all the way through your heat until you can’t stand.” Daryl feels the bolt of want strike through him again and dammit now he’s hard and uncomfortable again and he can see the smirk on Rick’s face when he smells the shift in his scent. Glaring a little he wants to hit his alpha for teasing him like this but he knows his place. “Then when you think it’s over, I’m going to teach Carl how to do it.”

Daryl doesn’t care about his place; he does hit Rick for teasing him like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: You guys are so wonderfully inspiring with all your wonderful comments that you made me write 2 chapters in one night. Thank you all for being so amazing and enjoying this fic, I'm glad to be able to write something you all enjoy. I was also hoping for some feedback, if I made this a series and had other one shots fics based in this universe would you guys enjoy reading those too? Because this AU has become so large and detailed in my head and I know you guys probably have questions or scenarios you want to see happen that I don't think it can all be contained in one fic. So if I were to do that would you read and give ideas for them? Let me know because honestly I am loving writing this universe as much as you guys are enjoying reading it. :3


	21. Direction

The days drag on, the weather gets colder and after a week of intense heat crawling beneath his skin and burning through his body, it finally starts to fade. Daryl can’t help but be relieved that his heat is finally drawing to a close and letting his head feel clearer. Finally he can walk without the fear of another rogue alpha lurking in the bushes, he’s not heat high and focussed on nothing more than getting his end away. Now he can hunt for them, he can be useful and there’s finally not so much danger in him just existing.

He can feel the change in the air when his heat fades, and the reactions of his pack mates. Rick isn’t as tense, sure he’s still on high alert as they move, but Daryl can see that it’s not because of him anymore, it’s just because of their situation. Now he’s stable again it’s easier for them all, Rick isn’t constantly looking over his shoulder to check on him or scenting him every five seconds and it means they’re able to move through the woods safely.

With Carl it’s a little different though. His little alpha seems almost disappointed that his heat has ended and the thought of what had obviously been going through Carl’s head the past few days makes Daryl unsure of himself. He’s ashamed of himself and his actions when he’s in heat, same as always even when he was with Rick, Shane and Andrea he always felt ashamed of himself afterwards. After a lifetime of not having anyone even look at him that way or experiencing a heat, suddenly getting that kind of attention and feeling that way himself was overwhelming.

Heats were difficult for him to navigate anyway but with his little alpha around him it had gotten even more difficult. He’d given in to the scents around him, he’d let himself become heat high and move with the hormones his body was giving out instead of fighting them and now he was ashamed of himself. Carl was still a kid, a teenager, Rick’s son and fuck he couldn’t believe what he’d been wanting. He was too young to be thinking of that way, but he had thought of him like that and god it made him hate being an omega even more.

Sure Carl was his little alpha, and he didn’t mind that at all, he was even kind of proud of the kid for stepping into his role so easily and eagerly taking him on as his omega. But there was a line and he’d almost let the kid cross it. Scenting and marking was fine, having Carl protect him and call him ‘his’ wasn’t anything that bothered him at all, but with the heat he’d almost ruined it all. Daryl couldn’t believe how much the heat had thrown him off his game and made him act so shameful, just because he’d been heat high he’d practically thrown himself at the kid.

Not that he was blaming Carl. Heck he’d been a teenager, he knew what it was like and really he couldn’t blame the kid for not turning down the chance he was offering, no sane teenager would. But he was an adult and he shouldn’t be thinking of Carl that way whether he was his alpha or not.

Now he’s out of his heat they can sleep together as a pack again, curled up on the forest floor keeping warm by sharing body heat and the comfort a pack can give. It’s different though, and every night he finds himself curling away from Carl more and more, burying himself into Rick’s chest and trying to ignore the feeling of his little alpha pressing up against his back. It’s not unwanted, it’s not uncomfortable and he doesn’t know if that makes it better or worse. His body isn’t calling out for Carl anymore, and now that Carl isn’t as focussed on taking him every which way he can, he knows the kid is taking note of his reactions.

He shouldn’t feel guilty, he was doing what was right by pulling away but he can see the look Carl gets when he flinches and fuck it makes the guilt churn inside of him even more. They’re walking the next day, trudging along a set of railway tracks they’ve found and hoping for something at the end of it when it happens. He stumbles on something, nothing more than a broken slat and Carl stops him from going down, grabbing his side and keeping him upright with a concerned look on his face. Immediately Daryl pulls away and it’s enough to start the conversation he doesn’t want to have right now.

“Stop it Daryl!” Carl snaps but he doesn’t snarl and Daryl is grateful that he doesn’t feel the need to bare his neck and submit. “I’m your alpha, you’re my omega and there’s nothing wrong with what we almost did. I wanted it just as much as you so stop acting so weird around me.”

Daryl huffs a little, unable to meet Carl’s eyes and gripping his bow a little tighter. He knows what they did wasn’t wrong, heck no one would ever think any less of them for giving in to their instincts and besides they were packmates, but still this wasn’t about what other people thought. “You’re just a kid Carl.” He finally mutters,

“But I’m your alpha first.” And this time Carl does snap, growling and glaring up at him, standing firm in his position and projecting himself as an alpha through all his body language.

He doesn’t like that, and now he’s not a heat high little bitch he doesn’t quite roll over as easily as he should, not when he feels strongly on the subject. “Then as my alpha it’s your job to protect me and keep me happy right?” Daryl asks, tightening his grip on his bow to ground himself and stepping up to Carl. “So listen up, I was heat high okay? I could barely think straight at the time I was so messed up, but I’m stable now and I need you to understand.” Taking a breath he finds it hard to find the words, but he’s not going to let this go until it’s fixed. “I love you as my alpha okay? That’s fine but doing…that? It’s just…I’m not ready for that with you yet okay?”

Carl frowns up at him, folding his arms and Daryl can see how put out he is. “But that’s part of me being your alpha.”

“Well it’s a part that’ll have to wait until you’re older Carl!” The kid wasn’t listening, and it’s frustrating as hell to be ignored as if his opinion doesn’t matter. “I’m not comfortable with doing that with you yet, I don’t want to go through with it when heat high and regret it afterwards.”

“You’d regret having me like that?” It feels like Carl isn’t listening to everything he’s saying and is only picking out certain parts of it that hurt him. “You don’t want me as your alpha?”

Before he throws his bow to the ground and pulls out his hair in frustration, Rick steps between them, his gait showing confidence as he tries to solve the issue. Rick leans down to Carl’s level, placing a hand on his son’s shoulder and meeting his eye as he explains things better than Daryl ever could. “Carl that’s not what Daryl is saying. Being an alpha is not about leading your pack through force or making their choices for them. It’s about respecting their wishes and making the right decisions. Right now Daryl isn’t ready for that part of your relationship to develop further, is it such a bad thing for him to want to wait until you’re older?”

Carl scuffs his boots on the floor, digging his hands in his pockets and looking more like a kid than ever. Again Daryl is pleased that nothing went any further when he was in heat. “I guess not.” His little alpha shrugs before looking past his father to look at him instead. “But I can still be your alpha in other ways?”

Nodding he tries to offer a smile, to put them back at their usual ease with each other. “Of course, who else is going to protect me?”

“And you’ll tell me when you’re ready won’t you?” Carl asks.

Rick smiles, patting his son’s shoulder before standing again, looking pleased that the tension was lifting from between them. “I should think he’ll let you know when he’s ready.” His alpha nudges at his son and gestures to the surrounding area they planned on using as a place to rest for the night. “Now go scent the area for us.” It’s a duty that’s usually performed by the lead alpha and Daryl can see the way Carl walks away with pride to do as he’s asked.

“Thanks.” Daryl mumbles, nudging at Rick’s side, still unable to quite meet his eyes. Rick was more than his alpha, he was Carl’s son and well no one would blame him for feeling awkward about discussing whether or not he was ready to sleep with the guy’s kid.

Shaking his head Rick moves closer, running his fingers over Daryl’s back and that makes him feel more at ease immediately. “I should have spoken to him about it earlier, but when you’re in heat it’s hard to think straight for all of us. I got too caught up in the thought of sharing my omega with my son and didn’t think of what would happen afterwards. But no more, not until you’re ready for it.” Rick reassures him and when he finally gets the nerve to look at him eye to eye, he can see the promise there.

Leaning into Rick, Daryl can still remember all the stories his father had threatened him with when he was younger. Of cruel alphas who used their omegas as nothing more than a breeding bitch, mistreated, kept like animals and used like a whore. He remembers clutching his pillows after dreaming of being stolen by them, or his father selling him to a pack of rogues for beer money and praying for Merle to get home sooner. Now here he was with the most considerate alpha he’s ever met and he was all his.

Rick scents him deeply, rubbing their faces together, stroking his palms over Daryl’s sides before kissing him softly and right now there’s nothing more soothing than knowing he was loved. He’s so caught up in Rick’s scent of power and control that he almost misses the scent of change in the air, but then there’s a yell from Carl and he’s bolting to him, hot on Rick’s heels and darting through the woods. Fear courses through him for a moment but then he catches the scent properly and the fear is replaced by something else. Hope.

It’s not a scent of danger, he knows the scent personally and he knows Rick can smell it too. They know this scent, they know these people, it’s pack, it’s family and it’s the first sign of others having survived the prison since they left. Panting for air he lets himself get lost in the scent, following Rick into the trees and it hits him like an arrow when he recognises the scent properly.

“Merle!” There’s no fear of walkers for the moment, only the hope and excitement of finding his brother again after everything they’ve been through. When they find him he’s blinkered only on him, dropping his bow to the ground and barrelling into Merle with his whole weight. It’s childish and pathetic but he doesn’t care right now, not when his brother is alive and here and real in his arms. Burying himself in Merle’s scent he can’t help the emotions washing over him, the relief and pure joy he feels at being reunited with him again.

“Hey baby brother, I got you, I’m here.” Merle murmurs to him, holding him close and scenting him deeply. It’s everything he’s been missing and for a moment it’s enough until he notes the scent hidden beneath Merle’s own. There’s blood, death and grief mixed with a faint scent of himself and newness.

Pulling back a little he can see the stains on Merle’s shirt, and he can’t help but run his fingers over it lightly, only pausing when Merle’s hand clasps over his own. Looking up to his brother he doesn’t want to ask the question, he doesn’t know if he should dare to ask but he has to know. Choking a little he can feel the tears already starting, his gut already knows the answer but still… “Merle?”

His brother’s face says it all and he crumples, collapsing on top of his brother in tears and he can’t fathom it at all. “Lily.” Merle murmurs, shifting a little to let him bury his face in his neck and hide away from the world there. He knows at some point he needs to know what happened, but right now it’s too much and he chokes even more. There was a difference between assuming his kits were dead and knowing for certain that he had lost one to this vicious world around them. “She didn’t… I didn’t let her…”

“She didn’t suffer.” Milton interrupts and Daryl peeks out from Merle’s shoulder enough to look at the beta. He’s scruffy, unused to living rough with Merle’s pistol tucked into his belt and looking so relieved to be back in a pack. Rick and Carl are beside him, bringing him back into the fold even as they work through their own grief over losing Lily. “We buried her in the woods, placed some large rocks over her grave. She…she won’t be disturbed.”

It’s a small thing, but somehow it helps to know that she hadn’t turned and that her packmates had made certain that she wouldn’t be dug up by some stray walker. It’s not a lot, it’s not going to bring her back, but it’s the most he could have hoped for. She had been with Merle, she knew that she’d been loved and they had taken care of her as well as they could. He rests on Merle’s shoulder quietly and doesn’t think he can even think of carrying on right now.

“We rest here tonight.” Rick nods to them all, wiping at his face to remove the tear marks and wrapping an arm around Carl’s shoulders briefly. Daryl can see that he’s as upset as he is, but he’s an alpha and right now they need someone to follow in this time of grief, Rick is that man for all of them. “Tomorrow we follow the tracks and who knows, maybe we get lucky and find more packmates.”

He knows Rick is steering them towards looking forwards, using this opportunity to give them all some hope and use it in a positive manner. It’s why Rick is their first alpha and their leader, he knew how to protect them not only from the world around them, but from the darkness that lived within themselves when grief took over.

Right now he can’t move and Rick doesn’t ask he or Merle to get up and help set up the perimeter, instead Carl and Milton assist, stringing up their alarm systems, setting up a place for them to sleep and gathering all their supplies together. They settle and there’s no discussion on who would be sleeping where, instead they move as a pack, as if they’ve never been separated at all. Daryl buries himself in Merle’s chest, losing himself in the scent of family and safety as well as the lingering scent of his daughter. Rick and Carl curl up behind him, sandwiching him between two alphas and keeping him safe in his moment of grief. It surprises him that Milton immediately curls up next to Merle, not even pausing for a moment before pressing against his brother’s side and Merle doesn’t even protest. It’s enough to give him a few questions to ask when they awake.

The next day things all fall into place, and as if they’d never been separated they begin travelling again, each carrying their equal share of supplies as they follow the tracks. Rick and Merle lead them, and Daryl finds it odd but comforting that the two alphas aren’t fighting for position, but Merle follows and actually seems to be talking to Rick sincerely. He’s following behind Carl with Milton, the two of them the lowest rank and trailing their mini pack.

He can’t hear the conversation that’s happening up front but he watches their body language, trying to work out exactly what Merle could possibly have to say to Rick right now. Usually Merle would be walking beside him, keeping him close and under his watchful eye since they’d just been reunited, but instead he’s shocked when Merle moves closer to Rick, pausing for a moment to rest their foreheads together in a sign of trust and respect. It’s enough to make him huff a little at the action, smiling at the thought of his alpha and brother actually getting along properly despite their differences.

“Merle’s probably thanking him you know?” Milton says from beside him and Daryl turns to watch the beta as they walk. “He hasn’t stopped worrying about you the whole time, not for a second.”

Daryl can believe that, Merle has always been the same ever since he was little. Even before he presented Merle looked after him, protected him from the dangers of the world whether it be their father or other people. “He’s one overprotective son of a bitch.” He agrees, keeping his bow out as they walk, not ready to let down his guard and giving himself something else to focus on that wasn’t the loss of his kit.

“I think when we lost Beth he got worse.” He can hear the sorrow in Milton’s voice, how losing the young beta girl had affected him even if they’d never been close. It seemed the stress of having to actually survive had brought Milton even closer to them all and he was finding that nothing more than a good thing. “He protected us both and then she was just gone, it messed with him you know? I think he saw it as a failure, like losing you both times.”

Smirking a little he slows his steps, squaring his shoulders a little and watching the beta tense automatically. “That why you smell of him so much?” Daryl asks, cocking his head to the side before gesturing to his brother. “He start protecting you a little too much is what you’re saying?”

Milton is on edge in a second, stumbling over his words, reaching up to play with his glasses, and Daryl can see when the three alphas pause to see the problem. “What? No, I mean yes, I mean I don’t exactly um…”

“I’m kidding Milton.” Rolling his eyes he carries on walking, letting the beta regain his composure and nodding for the alphas to carry on, giving Merle a smirk and getting a questioning look from his brother.

“Oh right. Well, either way I think Merle was glad you were with Rick, he probably wouldn’t have worried as much if he’d have known you were with him. He knows Rick wouldn’t let anything happen to you.”

Daryl knows that’s true. He remembers the blood smeared across all three of them, seeing Joe dead on the floor with his throat ripped out and the pack piss themselves in fear of his alphas. “Neither of them would, not Rick nor Carl. They’ve proven that to me.” With blood and death, a promise forged in the corpses they’d left on the road together to rot for eternity.

“I did notice the blood.”

“They deserved it.” He nods and the world has changed so much that Milton doesn’t even question it, not for a second. Instead he nods and Daryl finds himself enjoying the man’s quiet company as they continue walking. The world around them smells of death and walkers, rotting flesh and congealed blood, so when there is a spike of some other scent, they all notice it immediately.

There’s a sign on the side of the railroad tracks, smeared in dirt and with a message scrawled across it. But beyond the message is a scent and a mass of handprints beside it, a way of signing the message with scents and honestly. The small pack of them read and reread the sign, each of them grinning and Carl is practically jumping up and down on the spot when he reads it. Daryl can feel himself tearing up again as he counts the handprints smeared on the sign, Rick’s hand on one shoulder and Merle pressing against his back as he presses closer to check the scents once more.

_Pack. Go to terminus._

He can smell them all easily. The alpha scents of Maggie and Michonne, the beta scents of Lori, Carol, Glenn and Sasha and a mix of three new scents none of them are sure of. But if they’re with their pack and leaving messages then it meant to were friendly. However, the only thing he can really focus on is the three tiny handprints pressed on the corner, the scents bright and new, a mix of his own and freshness.

Three of his kits were alive and waiting for him at terminus with the pack.

\---

A/N: Fear not Daryl/Carl shippers, there will be an exploration of their relationship in a side fic. Also, I'm glad you guys are all excited for some one shots and making this a series, so please send me any and all ideas that you wish to see with this AU. Besides, this fic is planned up to the end of season four, so we're going to need something to get us through to October right? Love to you all, you guys inspire me so much :3


	22. End of the Line

The rail tracks to terminus are repetitive to walk over, Daryl’s honestly getting sick of the sight and counting them as he went was just making numbers run around his mind. It wasn’t helping bury down the anxiety he was feeling, or the mix of hope and worry about what lie ahead. There would be no happy ending, he could already feel it inside of himself and with the loss of Lily already he knew any happiness he did feel about finding the kits would always be tarnished. He’d lost one already, his baby girl had been taken from him and from the signs they keep passing he already knows there’s only three kits waiting for him.

He supposes he should be grateful; they’d already beaten the odds as it was by surviving this long but at no point did any of this feel like a success. His kits were somewhere else, not here, not with him and that made him a failure. Omegas were built for one thing and one thing only; breeding. After that he was supposed to care for the kits until they were strong enough to care for themselves, but with the world as it was really he didn’t know how he could do that. He felt like a bad person, a bad omega and a bad parent.

Maybe if he’d been there he could have done something. If he’d never fucking left his kits by themselves and been a decent parent then maybe they would have been safe and well. But the prison had fallen, they had nowhere safe to go and he couldn’t have made it out with all five. Thinking about it was making his head hurt and he’s grateful when Rick calls for them to stop the night so they can get some rest.

Sure there’s a huge part of all of them that wants to keep going, but they know they need to keep their strength up. Tired people made mistakes and nowadays mistakes meant death. He didn’t think he could handle the loss of anybody else.

They sleep in an old railway maintenance shack, it’s nothing much but a way to keep out the wind and they all sleep in the same positions as before. Pressing harder into Rick’s firm warmth he manages to get a few hours of sleep, between the anxiety and fears plaguing him they’re not very restful but he’s not going to complain about it. All of them were uncomfortable and he knows they all feel the absence of other pack members as much as he does. Still there was some hope to cling to and right now they had to believe in it.

He’d never really believed in God or religion or anything like that. His father would sometimes throw the good book at him in anger, reciting verses and calling him a sinner for being an omega, tainted completely and nothing more than someone to be used by others. After getting used to that he’d never really wanted to look in to what religion had to say about his situation.

Praying never bought his mom back, it never changed what he had presented as and it never got Merle out of prison so what good was it? It felt like whatever Lord there might have been had already turned his back on him, so why bother keep asking? But now as they walk along the train tracks he finds himself asking, just one more time in the hope that this time someone might listen.

Just let them all be okay.

It’s not much to ask he doesn’t think, and he just hopes that maybe it’ll work this time. They’re all quiet as they walk today, the nerves beginning to build as they continue following the path, using the maps and signs they pass to judge their distance and finding themselves almost upon their destination. Merle walks beside him at the rear of the pack, trailing behind the other three and keeping an eye out for danger since they were nearing other humans.

Already Daryl can smell the shift in the air, there’s the lingering scent trail of a pack and with each step it gets thicker. They’re encroaching upon someone else’s territory and the nerves inside of his stomach start up again. What if these people were like the other group they’d just met? Alphas luring in groups in want of an omega?

Merle places a hand against his lower back, able to smell his worry and giving as much comfort as he could even though Daryl knew he was still unsure about this whole thing. “Ain’t no one gonna hurt you little brother. Not with me or your other alphas around.” He knows that, he knows they’d do anything to protect him, but still there was always the threat and worry of the unknown. Enough blood had been spilled over him and his position in the world, he didn’t know if he could cope with there being any more deaths on his behalf. “Least you ain’t in heat.”

“I was.” Daryl admits, holding his bow a little tighter and watching the ground before him in interest. They’ve never really spoken about his heats before; it was something they just didn’t talk about between them. “A week ago I was in heat.” Shuddering a little he remembers everything, the flush under his skin, the awkwardness and then what had happened and pushed his alphas over the edge. “They…they protected me from a pack of rogue alphas.” Glancing up he finds Merle watching him, and though he knows it wasn’t his fault in the slightest, he still can’t face recalling the events for him. “Wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them.” He summarises instead, giving a loose shrug and looking forward to watch the pack ahead of them.

“That why you smelt so much of the kid?” Merle asks, similarly not looking at him, the pair of them weren’t so good with talking about this sort of shit. Daryl knows Merle is just being protective of him, wanting to know if he’s been taken advantage of whilst heat high and he smiles a little at the sign that his brother cares. “They mark you up afterwards?”

“Just scenting.” Daryl replies with a shake of his head, fingers fidgeting with the strap of his crossbow as he tries to explain. “Nothing more than that.” Even if at the time he’d wanted it so badly. But Merle didn’t need to know that part. “Carl is my alpha but not in that way, made it clear that I’m not ready for that yet. Not till he’s older.” He reassures Merle, feeling the slight flush on his cheeks at the thoughts that run through his head at the mere mention of Carl being his alpha in a more intimate way. But he’s not ready for that and neither is the kid, even if they both thought they were when heat high.

Merle gives a small grunt of acceptance, allowing him to make his own choices when it came to this and he’s grateful for that. Even if Rick was his true alpha, Merle was still an important alpha in his life and despite everything his brother still had the power to deny or gift him anything. Well, Merle could try but he’d have a fight on his hands. “He tries to push you, you tell me.” Merle tells him, nudging at his shoulder a little and Daryl knows it’s meant to be reassuring.

He loves his brother, he really does and he thanks every power above that he was able to find him during these tough times. Reaching out he knots his fingers into the hem of Merle’s shirt, just holding on to his brother as they walk and enjoying the closeness of it all even when things aren’t exactly stable around them.

“I think Rick’s got it covered.” He tells him, smiling as he looks forward to where his alpha leads them, walking strong across the train tracks. Giving a small smirk he nudges at Merle’s side, wanting to lighten the mood a little. “What about you and Milton? That just scenting Merle?” He asks and can’t help but chuckle when Merle actually blushes.

“That ain’t none of your business is it now little brother?” Merle snorts, but he’s flustered, and Daryl was not going to let him off so easily.

Shoving at him again he shakes his head, unwilling to stop until he gets his answer. Heck, Merle had been there whilst he was giving birth, he figured they could at least share this. “Merle come on, I want to know if you’ve gone and gotten yourself a mate.” He heckles him, poking, prodding and teasing with his words.

Merle shoves him away a little but Daryl can see the smile on his face and how the flush on the top of his cheeks hasn’t died down. “Ain’t nothing like that.” His brother tries to explain. “Was just kind of pushed together is all, besides Milton’s an alright guy, bit of a pussy but you know, can’t have it all.” Merle shrugs a little and Daryl gives a small whistle as they continue walking.

“Never thought I’d see the day my brother went and found himself a beta of his own.” He doesn’t keep his voice down, this was too much fun to keep to himself, and he can see when Milton glancing back over his shoulder at them. “Maybe it won’t be long until the kits get a cousin?”

He yelps at the punch to his shoulder but gives one back to his brother, the pair of them squabbling and batting at each other for a while as Merle berates him. “Hush your mouth and don’t let Milton hear you spouting shit like that. He’ll have a heart attack or something.” His brother hisses, shoving at him a little until they’re both laughing a little and waving off Carl’s interested look at their misbehaviour. “Ain’t like that anyway ‘s just…I dunno. It’s something alright? That’s as much as I can tell you.”

Daryl grins as they continue walking, leaving his brother to scowl and snarl when Milton looks at them in question. What with everything the way it was now they didn’t get to smile often but despite the ache in his heart it helps to be able to smile, if only for a moment. The ground moves beneath them as they walk, the train tracks seeming to get cleaner and cleaner as they approach their destination. More tracks close in one them, falling in line with the ones they’re following and the signs become more frequent, coaxing them onwards, ushering them to continue and counting down to their destination. The closer they get, the more the nerves start up inside of him and though it happens naturally, he knows the rest of the pack are as nervous as himself when they begin to walk closer together.

Before them looms a large building through the trees, brick, and plain with simple letters drawn in the windows. It’s rather imposing and they approach through the trees to give themselves time to take in the sight. There’s a fence surrounding the place, marking out a territory over tarmac and rails, various metal containers and smaller buildings are settled inside the place, leaving him unable to see much further inside the area.

It’s new, it’s unknown and it smells of a pack that isn’t their own. He can feel himself tense at the thought and edge a little closer to Merle as Rick begins pacing around the edge of the fence before them.

“You think this place is going to be safe?” He mutters to Merle, gripping the strap of his crossbow a little tighter and smiling when Carl shifts closer to him.

“Couldn’t tell you baby brother.” At least Merle is honest, glancing behind them and checking the area for any patrolling members of the terminus pack they haven’t met yet. “Going in to another pack’s territory is dangerous at the best of times, but nowadays?” Merle grows low in the back of his throat, and Milton side steps closer to them in response. “Hell, it’s just the toss up between being out here with walkers and rogues, and meeting a new pack. But if they’re inviting people in, we can only hope they’ll be peaceful.”

Chewing on his lip he nods, seeing the sense behind the answer but not feeling much better for it. “Maybe if the rest of the pack are there they’ll be more accepting of us?” He hopes out loud and doesn’t feel much better when all he gets from Merle is a shrug in reply.

Terminus looks foreboding before them. Large and impressive, with very few walkers chomping at the fences and no sign of life that could be seen. He knows it’s most likely that they pack are further within the territory, hidden from danger by staying further inside. At the prison the children had been kept inside, closer to the centre of their territory and further away from danger, it would make more sense he supposes. But still, the place doesn’t look lived in, it doesn’t feel like there’s any life there, the only signal they have of any life is the strong scent surrounding the place.

There’s the lingering scent of his own pack hidden in there, faint but real and within it he can smell his kits. But not seeing anyone outside was worrying, no patrols, no one there for them to see and judge from a safe distance away. Instead all they had was a building to go on and Daryl watches as Rick paces before them, running his fingers over the fence before coming back to them. Each of them is silent, awaiting their alpha’s decision and willing to put their trust in him no matter what.

“We leave some weapons here as a back up.” Rick tells them, his face tense and though Daryl can see he’s trying to stay calm, there’s a tension of wariness in his expression. He looks ready to blow at any second and it’s the same kind of look he remembers in the darkness when the claimers had him. It gives him some hope, and he knows that placing his trust in his alpha could never be wrong. “Bury them here and make no mention of it until we are certain this place is safe.”

They bury the bag by some tree roots, a few of Daryl’s arrows go in, as well as a few clips of ammo, Merle’s rifle and to his surprise Rick’s python. His alpha ensures that they’ve all got side arms, he has his bow and they’ve all got their knives ready just in case. Daryl’s not ashamed of admitting he’s afraid, after everything that had happened after their last encounter with strangers he figures he’s got a right to be afraid.

But pack is in there, there is potential safety in there and right now every choice they made was difficult.

It was just odd that no one was walking around, they hadn’t seen anyone at all upon terminus territory and that was a little off putting. Clinging to his crossbow a bit tighter he knows that Rick can smell his worry, it’s thick in the air around them, mixing with every else’s fear and making him hate his position as an omega even more. Honestly, that’s their problem. He’s a prize worth fighting for and they didn’t know exactly where this new pack stood on the idea of omega theft. This could be dangerous, for him, for them and for anyone else that tried to protect him.

Chewing on his thumbnail he tries to stop worrying about this so much, right now Rick needed them to be strong together and to stand as a pack whilst they came to this new place. But everything inside of him is afraid, for himself, for his pack and especially for his kits. A part of him wants to go inside to find them, but if the terminus people had proof that he was fit for breeding they might not be willing to leave him to his own pack.

“We go in over the fence, quiet, take them by surprise.” Rick tells them and Daryl nods along with it even though he doesn’t feel comfortable at all. Beside him Carl presses a little closer to him, Merle lays a hand on his shoulder and though he knows they’re trying to help, it doesn’t do a lot. “See what this terminus pack is about.”

His scent must be stronger than he thinks because before Rick can continue with their plan Milton is speaking up, stepping into their huddle with a hand pressed over his pistol. “I could go in first if you want? A beta on their own isn’t a threat and I could try and find out where the rest of our pack is.” Daryl is a little stunned, but then he supposed anyone that had to spend time surviving with Merle on their own was going to grow a pair of balls sometime.

Merle snarls loudly, grabbing at the back of Milton’s neck and yanking him in to rest their foreheads together. “You ain’t goin’ in there alone.” His brother growls, rubbing his face against Milton’s and scenting him deeply, leaving Daryl fairly sure that though Merle said that Milton and he were only something, it was something more than he’d expected. “We do not split up again you hear?”

Rick growls alongside Merle, moving to clasp a hand to Milton’s shoulder a keep him in place. “Merle’s right. We do not split up anymore. We stay together, we stay close and find out what is going on in this place as a pack.” Their alpha tells them and despite all his worries, when Rick sounds so sure of himself like this Daryl can’t help but believe him.

They move as a unit, Rick leading the way over the fence and checking that they’re all over safe before nodding for them to follow him. Daryl keeps his bow close, clenching his fingers around it as they stay low and close together, pressing against each other’s bodies and feeling where they are simply by touch alone. The fear only intensifies the further they get into terminus’ territory, the scent thickening around them until he’s almost choking on it.

“Stay close omega.” Rick demands of him and as they finally reach a doorway into the building. He obeys instinctively, swallowing back the fear and preparing to defend himself from this unknown pack. “You are mine and mine alone.” His alpha growls to him with one last breath before carefully opening the door and leading them inside.

The room is huge, ceilings high and unexpectedly not filled with a lot of people as he expects. Instead there are but a few people, some alphas and betas all looking busy, some pouring over maps and a more elderly woman sitting and talking into a speakers for what looks like an old radio. He doesn’t like this, the place smells of strangeness and danger and there is no sign of their pack anywhere. Worst of all, he couldn’t hear his kits.

They step closer, weapons ready just in case and Daryl makes sure to stick behind Rick and Merle as the strangers finally look up.

“Well this is new.” Says one of the alphas, stepping closer to them with his arms outstretched, the picture of innocence and safety, but Daryl refuses to trust them. “Usually we greet newcomers at the front entrance.”

He doesn’t look physically strong but Daryl knows you shouldn’t underestimated someone because of how they looked. If the other man was an alpha then there was a reason for it, and if he was the first alpha then it meant he’d earned his position. He was not to be underestimated.

Rick stands beside him, his alpha unconsciously setting his shoulders back and standing taller, wanting to give the impression of strength and dominance. “We wanted to try and get a handle on your people first.” His alpha explains and Daryl notes that the terminus alpha doesn’t look bothered in the least by his explanation.

“Smart move.” Instead they get a compliment and a smile. Daryl doesn’t care if it’s rude, he steps a little closer to Rick and Carl at that look. “Well, welcome to terminus. I’m Gareth.” The stranger explains, holding out his hands to gesture to the vast room around them. “The signs were not lying to you, this really is a place of safety for all, community for all. We’re all humans here and to survive this we know we’ve got to stick together.”

He seems very confident in himself, smooth with his words and not posturing as most alphas did when squaring off with another. Daryl wonders how many times he’s had to make this speech and if he had, then why hadn’t they seen any other people? It makes him uneasy and though everything seems calm and fine, there’s something about this place that just feels wrong to him.

“You just let anyone in?” Rick asks, his hand still on his gun but not as tense as before.

“Well we have some rules of course.” Gareth shrugs, letting his arms fall to his sides and just looking as relaxed as possible. It’s not right to be so welcoming of strangers into his territory, everything about this place just felt off to him. “But in general if you prove yourself to be a decent person and willing to help out and keep out the dead, we’ll let you stay here. But I can smell that you’re not the first of your pack to come here looking for safety.” He says and immediately Daryl is all ears, wanting to hear any sign, any tell of his kits.

Rick nods, hands now on his hips, shifting his weight but not relaxing just yet. His alpha seems to want to keep information to himself, and will only give the barest of information. “We lost our prison, our territory.” He explains with a small nod, rubbing at his beard and Daryl swears he can see the dark stain of blood still lingering on Rick’s skin.

“We’ve heard, I’m sorry for your loss, it must have been hard to lose something you’ve worked so hard for.” Gareth lowers his head in a small gesture of understanding but moves on far too soon to mean it. “But you’ve got a fresh start here. If you’ll allow us to just check you for weapons we can get you something to eat, some fresh clothing and get you back to your pack.”

That makes him flinch a little, pressing up against Rick’s back and clinging to his shirt. He doesn’t want these people touching him; he doesn’t want anyone touching him ever again unless they were packmates. Rick feels his worry, and though his alpha can’t be shown to be weak by losing sight of the possible threat before him, he still reaches a hand back to press against Daryl’s hip. It helps, but not enough to stop him from giving a light whine at the though of being touched.

“You want to check us for weapons?” Rick asks, palm warm against his hip, but still tense.

“Forgive the intrusion, you just can’t be too careful these days.” Gareth smiles easily, teeth across his lip and taking a step forward with his packmates following behind. “May we?”

Rick looks over the terminus pack members, meeting their gaze and Daryl can see the moment a few of the betas lower their gaze in innocent submission to him. It makes him feel a little better to know that his alpha could still make strangers quake in worry just by looking at them. Still he remains behind Rick as he nods to them all, slowly lowering his own weapons to the ground before him before standing in the customary search position. They all follow suite but Daryl can’t help but flinch a little as his packmates are searched around him.

It seems the terminus pack are sensible enough to leave him until last, the betas stepping back from frisking his brother, Milton and Carl to leave their alpha to step closer to him when he’s finished searching Rick. It still irks him when Gareth glances to Rick for permission before touching him, and though he wants to growl and snarl in threat as he’s touched, instead he finds himself unable to respond as foreign fingers stroke over his body. He feels violated all over again and stares at the floor, wanting to lose himself and get away from this place and these hands that weren’t from packmates. His crossbow sits at his feet, of no use to him at the moment when hands run over his waist, checking his belt, moving down his legs and coasting over his thighs.

The only thing that keeps him from lashing out is the constant sound of Rick growling from right beside him.

As soon as hands are off of him he’s snatching up his bow, digging his nails into it, getting used to the safety of the heavy weight in his palms and trying to breathe through the panic he’d just felt. Merle doesn’t have enough hands to be ready to hold a weapon and comfort him, so instead his brother simply takes half a step closer to him. Rick is still watching the terminus people, not letting them out of his sight and unable to do more than press a palm to the small of his back to give him some reassurance.

It’s enough for the moment, and though he keeps the grip on his crossbow ready, he lets himself follow his alpha and Gareth further into the strange territory.

That’s when he hears it, Gareth is talking to Rick about something, Carl is sticking close to his side as Milton is to Merle’s and it’s there, a small, tiny sound coming from the distance. A cry. A baby’s cry and immediately all fear for himself flies from his mind as instinct kicks in.

His kits are here and they need him.

He doesn’t care about his place in the rankings, he snarls back when the strange betas all growl for him to back down and grabs at the back of Gareth’s shirt. “Where are they?” He barks out, uncaring of the amount of social rules he’s breaking by touching a strange alpha and daring to act so aggressive towards him. “Take me to them now!”

The strange pack are all growling, snarling around them and drawing weapons, ready to defend their alpha from an attack. Similarly his own pack move to defend him, creating a circle around him as he pants hard, anger up, worry coursing through him and all nerves on edge for his kits. He wants answers; he wants to be acknowledged as a threat, he wants his kits.

Gareth laughs, a smile on his face with his hands raised beside himself. “Hey now no need to be like that.” He tells him, waving his hands a little to get his pack to back off and leave it just the two of them. “You have no need to worry here omega, we’ve been expecting your arrival and your kits are safe and sound.”

Daryl knows he’s still breathing heavily, panting through his nose, fingers tense as they grip at Gareth’s shirt and it’s not until Rick is there in his space, placing a hand to his neck and meeting his eyes to calm him. “Daryl.” His alpha speaks to him calmly, moving to press their foreheads together and let him smell his protective scent. His emotions are a hurricane within himself right now and he can’t help but whimper a little as Rick gently eases his grip off of Gareth. “I know, I know, but just calm down.”

Rick remains close to him, holding him steady, clearly able to feel the tension in his body and the worry there. “Take us to them now. And the rest of our pack.” It’s not a question, it’s a demand and Daryl cannot describe how he’s feeling right now when he’s so on edge like this.

“Of course, follow me. I’ll take you to your pack.” Gareth nods to them, still smiling, straightening his shirt from where it was creased and beginning to lead them out of the large room. Daryl follows, slinging his bow across his back and letting a hand fall to his knife at his belt for reassurance. Terminus is huge, large and empty around them and though there’s the faint scent of pack in the air, it’s not enough to be reassuring.

He slows his steps a little as the sounds of his kits’ cries get a little fainter, as if lost between more walls and rooms between them. It feels wrong, but the scent of pack is one way and yet his kits seem to be in the other. “Alpha…” He mumbles, slowing to a stop, feeling the nerves and terror creep up inside of him when the thought of his kits being separated from their pack. “Alpha something’s wrong…”

His alpha stops beside him, the rest of the pack following suite and Daryl notices when Carl tugs his gun out from the holster. All he can hear is the faint cries of his kits; the rambling of Gareth before them and in that second he knows that terminus is not all that it seems. When he moves it’s all on instinct, unsheathing his knife and grabbing the nearest strange beta, holding the blade to his throat and snarling loudly. “Where are you takin’ us?”

“Why to your pack of course.” Gareth replies with a smile, still smooth, still calm even though one of his betas was in danger.

His fingers are shaking, it feels like his chest is too tight and all he can hear ringing in his ears are the cries of his kits. “No you ain’t. They ain’t this way, my kits ain’t this way.” He knows they’re not, he can feel it in his gut and right now fuck the rest of the pack, and he wanted his kits. “You said you were going to take me to ‘em, but you ain’t. Where are they? I want them now!”

The beta is whimpering beneath his hands, panicked and lost, his alpha not seeming to care that his life was in danger. Right now Daryl has no sympathy for him, not when all he can think about it his kits, his babies are here somewhere, separated from their pack and probably terrified. Gareth is still smiling, looking so calm and at ease, and Daryl knows, he just knows that he’s not going to get an answer.

It’s enough for him, and whatever restraint he had been holding onto snaps, the blade slices through the beta’s neck and blood spills out over his fingers. The rest of the pack snarl and howl in panic but he has no time for them, shoving the body aside and sprinting away from the open area they’re in and barrelling into the nearest building. He calls for them, listening for a response in the air, desperate for them, needing them in his arms.

Everything else around him is a blur, nothing more than noise and shouts, the sound of bullets around him hitting the ground as he kicks through doors, bolting around the buildings and trying to find where his kits are. Their cries get louder; he calls for them harder and runs as fast as he can to get to them. Around him he can hear his pack firing back at the terminus strangers guarding him as he darts about, hunting them down and almost choking on a sob when finally after opening one door, he’s flooded by the scent of his kits.

They’re in a self made crib, but there are strangers between him and them. Daryl moves without thinking, uncaring for his own safety, snarling loudly and darting forwards with only one thought; to get to his kits. A gun goes off beside him, Carl is firing to defend him, he’s moving closer with Rick and they’ve both got their knives out and taking down the strangers they see. They fall, the stranger’s blood staining the floor beneath them and he steps through it, uncaring of it as he moves to kneel beside the makeshift crib.

Daryl doesn’t know when he starts crying, but the tears are coursing down his cheeks as he leans down to gather his still crying kits into his arms. They’re here, three of his kits are alive and in his arms, snivelling and grabbing at him, clinging to him and he knows that he’s never going to let them out of his sight again. Beside him he feels his packmates moving closer, hands pressing against his back, some running through his hair but none daring to touch the kits without his permission.

“Well isn’t this just a touching little reunion.” Gareth speaks from the doorway, careful and calm, not seeming to care as his pack points guns at them from where they’re now cornered in the room. “We did have another place in mind for you all, but it seems you’ve chosen your cage yourselves.” The alpha gives a little shrug, nudging for his underlings to remove the corpses from the room and it’s clear the man’s heart is cold when he shows no grief at losing packmates. “Enjoy your stay.”

The door snaps shut with a finality, latches locking into place, and leaving them in the darkness with nothing but the sound of his kits wailing to him for company.


	23. Deals with the devil

Their weapons are taken from them, they’re searched again twice over, and then nothing. That’s possibly the worst part, was the waiting. The door of their room remains locked up tight and there are guards placed outside at all times to keep an eye on them. They are prisoners, that much is obvious. Prisoners in this so called safe haven. A pack trapped inside another pack’s territory.

Their own pack is somewhere within these fences, they’d smelt them upon arrival. It’s a small comfort to know that they’re all in this together, but the fact they haven’t seen anyone else is terrifying. They were a pack divided and that meant they were weak. Trapped and weak, split and kept hostage. This was not a good situation to be in and Daryl didn’t know how they were possibly going to manage to get out of this mess.

He can’t bear to deal with all of this right now. He’s overwhelmed and feels so damned broken inside that there’s only one thing he knows he can do right. The kits have been left in some kind of makeshift playpen, soft blankets on the ground for them to crawl about on and filing cabinets used as walls to keep them from wandering too far. Climbing over the barriers he settles himself with them on the floor, lying down on his side, facing the wall and letting them mewl and nuzzle closer to him for comfort.

They naturally move to be against his warmth, each of the three of them nuzzle at his chest and stomach, burying themselves in his scent that they’ve missed so much. It makes him feel wanted and even though he feels hollow and lost in himself, Daryl makes sure to wrap his arm around his kits and keep them close to him. They mewl, they mouth at his shirt and he can’t help but cry at having them back with him again.

“I’m so sorry.” He whispers to them through his sobs, letting them rub over him, mimicking the scenting motions that they’ve seen over the past few months. Eli purrs brokenly in his throat, squirming close enough to burying himself beneath Daryl’s chin. Maddy mewls but settles beside her brothers, curled into Daryl’s warmth and he can feel her gentle weight against him. Luke sucks on his thumb, his sandy hair mussed up as he lies with them. Daryl never thought he’d get to see them again, so having the three of them here with him feels like too much.

“I should never have left you alone.” Daryl tells them, confessing his sins to them. They deserved his apology, they deserved nothing more than to be cared for and protected by their omega parent and he’d managed to screw that up already. “Now we’ve lost Lily and I don’t even know what happened to Judith.” He sobs, burying his face into Eli’s back, hiding himself away from the world. He doesn’t need anything else right now, he just needs them.

Each of his kits are purring in his arms, a small harmony of happiness and hope buried against his chest in these tough times. They are his to hang onto, they are his and his alone. Sure they were their alphas too, but they were his first. The only job he had to do, the only job ever given to omegas was to have a litter and raise them safely. Sniffing back the tears he kisses over the three of them, holding them closer, letting them rest and cease their own crying. Now they had him, and he was going to make sure to be there for them, to do whatever it took to keep them safe.

It was all he was good for anyway.

Daryl lies there with his sleeping kits for a long time, barely moving, not wanting to make them uncomfortable or have them move away from him at all. If they shift about and lose contact with his body he nuzzles them back into place, rubbing his face over them all and scenting them every time he can. They mewl, they purr and rub back, but they’re still there, they’re still with him and he’s never letting them go again.

Around him there is the scent of fear and anger. The room they are locked in is sealed tight, no windows, metal walls, almost like a storage area found at these sorts of train yards. The door is barred, and it’s pretty much certain that they’re not going to be leaving this room without the terminus pack’s permission. It makes his chest feel tight to think of, so he stays where he is and buries himself further into the bundle of kits pressed against his chest.

Rick is angry. Not just angry, his first alpha is pissed as hell. Daryl can smell it in the air. Normally he’d try to help, he would try to be there to reassure him and help his alpha talk out his frustrations. But he knows why he’s angry and it’s all because they’re here. Rick is their alpha, Rick had led them here and it had been a bad choice. That pressure would never be lifted from Rick’s shoulders, it was a part of being the first alpha of a pack, his choices affected them all and right now they were all in danger.

Terminus is not the sanctuary they’d been promised on the signs. It was a honey trap, the promise of safety and acceptance for all but in reality, now they were prisoners. It makes Rick growl and pace around the edge of their room, clearly looking for any weaknesses and trying to get out his anger. The sound makes the kids whine in unease and Daryl grooms them all gently to get them to quieten down again. They settle and he continues lying with them as he listens to the rest of the pack members that are with them.

Milton is quiet as usual. The smaller man is unsure and on edge, staying on the floor, seated and just waiting. He knows his place as a beta, not made to influence decisions, but there to give advice should his alphas need it. Some would underestimate Milton, but if he’d managed to survive out there on the road then he was clearly made of stronger stuff than Daryl had first thought. Besides, if Merle was scenting him and occasionally running his hand through the smaller man’s hair in reassurance, then Milton had to be at least a little more durable than he looked.

His brother is pissed as well, but he’s found his place by Rick’s side now and doesn’t show his frustration as much as he used to. Daryl knows he’s keeping it back, not wanting to add to Rick’s anger and potentially be seen as challenging him. Two volatile alphas would only be more of a problem for them right now, it was better for Merle to keep a lid on it until Rick needed some back up. Then he could step up, Merle could be there at Rick’s side to defend them all, to be the teeth and fists that they might need to protect them all from this unknown terminus pack. Merle was nowhere near the uncontrollable alpha that he’d had before the kits, nowadays his brother was reliable, he was able to control himself and Daryl was so grateful that he’d found his place in the pack.

Then there is Carl. His little alpha is clearly torn between how he should feel right now. Sometimes he paces behind his father, growling and snarling, his voice not quite at the full fearful tone of a fully-grown alpha, but it’s getting there. However, then there are other times where Carl is curled up in the corner, arms around his legs and keening lightly for comfort from his pack members. Daryl would go to him, but right now he doesn’t want to leave his kits for an instant, so he lets Milton and Merle keep the kid stable.

The time passes for all of them, day turns in to the light chill of early evening and a plateful of food is shoved through a slightly opened door along with a bottle full of water and the bag of supplies for the kits. Rick snarls at whoever leaves them, banging on the door as soon as it shuts and calling for the terminus pack to stop being such cowards and to come challenge him. Carl ends up being the one to take the supplies, sharing the food between them all and giving everyone a sip from the bottle of water.

Carl comes over to his temporary nest with the remains of everything and the baby bag, dragging it across the floor by its strap. Daryl can’t help but growl a little as he approaches, curling his arm tighter about the kits and watching as they instinctively curl up tighter when he’s making a noise of alarm. He knows it might be foolish to be so protective of them at the moment, Carl was his little alpha after all, but he can’t help it. They’re his, and his alone. He never wants them to be hurt or scared again.

The kid perches on the edge of one of the filing cabinets, heaving up the bag of supplies and pushing it closer to Daryl with a small smile. “They’re going to need changing soon Daryl.” He points out. “And you need to keep your strength up, eat something.”

Daryl hums in agreement, but he doesn’t loosen his grip on his kits. Carl doesn’t push any closer, but he doesn’t move away and Daryl allows him to sit guard for him if it makes the kid feel like he’s helping. Leaning down he scent marks his kits again, rubbing his face over their backs before he pulls back enough to take his food ration and begin eating. It’s nothing much, just a granola bar and a bag of chips, but it’s better than nothing. Besides like Carl said, they all needed to keep up their strength.

He’s expecting something to happen, for Gareth to show back up and threaten them all again, or at least for someone to come and check on them. But there is nothing and that makes them all feel even more uneasy.

It’s not until late that night, when the sun has set; the power has been shut down and left them in darkness, that Rick speaks. Daryl’s already changed the kits, not leaving his nest or them for a moment and currently he’s cradling Luke in his arms as he suckles at his chest for an evening feed. Eli and Maddy are already settled beside him, purring in their sleep, pressed against his side as focuses on their brother. The rest of the pack have all settled on the floor nearby, Milton curled up beside Merle, and Carl just on the other side of the downed filing cabinets to protect him. So when Rick speaks, it breaks the silence and startles him a little.

“I don’t know what they want from us.” Rick’s voice is low as he walks closer to all of them, prowling about in the darkness between where they lay. Daryl can smell the unease in the air and he rocks Luke gently to keep him from getting upset by it. “This isn’t right. They’re feeding us, but they’re keeping us separate from the rest of the pack. They want us weak by keeping us apart, but they want us fed. I don’t know their game.”

Having their alpha not know what’s going on, not having a plan and not even sure as to what their next move is, is more than terrifying. It makes Daryl curl up a little closer to his kits, bending down to press a kiss to Luke’s hair as his youngest falls to sleep while suckling. If Rick didn’t know what to do, then he knew that everybody else was just as lost. So he hunkers down, he places Luke with his siblings and curls around all three of them. Because this was what he knew, he knows he has to keep his kits safe, and he was going to make sure he did that.

The next morning they’re startled awake by the door slamming open and hitting the wall, Rick is on his feet in seconds, Merle by his side and backing him up with a snarl as Gareth enters the room. The terminus alpha is smiling, looking so calm with his hands in his pockets as he saunters forwards. There is no hesitancy in his step and the alphas that follow him in are armed to the teeth. There is no reason for him to be afraid of them, no matter how much Rick and Merle snarl and snap at him.

Carl moves back when Gareth enters, climbing over the filing cabinet to join Daryl in the nest and protect them all. His little alpha is just doing as his instincts are telling him, defending the omega and the kits from the threat thrown in front of them. Daryl cradles the kits in his lap, staying low to the ground with them, keeping them against his chest and trying to calm their cries at the sudden noise and tension in the room. He focuses on them instead of Gareth, running his fingers over their backs, letting them nuzzle as close as they like to feel him protecting them.

“Well good morning.” Gareth begins and immediately Daryl can feel the nerves inside of himself start up, twisting his stomach into knots. Merely the sound of the other alpha’s voice makes him feel on edge and he can feel Carl tense up beside him, ready to defend him if need be.

Across the room Rick is the same, in fact he’s the ultimate show of a defensive alpha. Tick’s got his teeth bared; he’s standing straight, his broad shoulders on show and arms tense at his sides. There’s a constant growl coming from his throat, lacing every word when he speaks and if it wasn’t his alpha, Daryl knows he’d be going belly up for him in an instant. “What do you want from us?” Rick snarls, eyes directed at Gareth for answers.

The other alphas in the room shift, clearly aware that Rick was a force to be reckoned with and with Merle as his backup, he made an intimidating sight. Gareth makes no move to soothe them, in fact he seems annoyed by their pathetic shuffling and snorts through his nose with a shake of the head before stepping closer.

“What does any good alpha want for his pack Rick?” Gareth answers, his voice calm, as if this was nothing out of the ordinary for him. “Safety, numbers, a future. You see, normally we give people the choice to join us, but see you just came on in here and killed some of our pack members. Understandably, you’re not going to be offered the chance to join our pack.” He chuckles.

Rick bristles, still growling, still ready to attack at any moment if he needed to. “Why are you keeping us alive then? Why feed us? Why allow us to stay alive?”

“Do you want me to kill you? I could. Right now in fact.” With a click of his fingers the alphas behind Gareth are pointing their guns at them all, one trained on each of them and Daryl can only whimper and curl over his kits further when a gun is pointed at them. It makes his chest tighten and the kits wail in fear as he tries to hush them. Then there’s another click and Daryl peeks up to see the guns being trained on the floor instead, Gareth smiling the whole time at his control over the situation. “But I won’t.”

This is all just a game to him and that makes it so much worse.

There is a moment of tension, silence between them all as Rick takes in Gareth’s display of power. It may not be the more instinctive way of an alpha posturing and measuring up to another, but it still worked. They were sizing each other up, Rick using his superior strength to show himself off as intimidating, and Gareth showing his pack and their deference to his authority. It’s a tense situation, and Daryl hunkers down with the kits, defending them from having to watch when Rick gives a huff of disgust and takes a step back. He doesn’t submit, Rick never would, but they’re not on the brink of fighting anymore.

“You’ve proven your power and your pack’s loyalty to you.” Rick nods, still on edge and with a growl in his voice. “So what do you want from us?”

Gareth smiles, his teeth clean and on show as he explains, still as calm as ever. “See, people are more likely to agree to things you want them to do when you have collateral.” His voice turns darker as he continues, the sound of a man that demands to be taken seriously. “I have a proposition for you all, and you’d do well to listen to me.”

Rick pauses, looking back over his shoulder to all of them, he meets Daryl’s eyes and he can only tighten his hold on his babies when Rick nods in agreement. “We’re listening.” Rick answers for all of them.

“I am willing to allow the rest of your pack in here, alive and well, to join you, permanently. We will feed you, we will keep you alive, safe and more importantly, we will allow you to keep your litter alive here.” Gareth tells them and Daryl’s heart is in his throat.

It’s not freedom, but it’s safety, it’s a future for the moment and he has a feeling he knows exactly what Gareth is going to want in return.

Rick snarls and he’s pacing again, back and forth across the ground, almost as if he’s marking the edge of his territory. They all know it’s a deal at least worth listening to, they all want their pack back and Daryl knows that Carl is quivering beside him at the thought of getting to see his mother again. They were stronger together no matter what and even if Gareth didn’t see it, Daryl knew they’d be strong enough to get out of here and survive if they were able to plan it out together. Being reunited with the rest of the pack was their main goal right now, and if there was the promise of his kits’ safety, then he was definitely going to listen.

“What do you want from us?” Rick growls again, he’s still ready to pounce if he has to, but Daryl hopes the trade isn’t going to set Rick off into lashing out. “It’s gotta be something big if you’re willing to give us all that so easily.”

Gareth smiles this time, but it’s different. This time he really smiles and it reaches his eyes as he looks across the room, beyond where Rick is guarding and over to him. It makes him shiver, the kits all mewl in his arms but Daryl already knows exactly what Gareth is going to be asking for.

“I want your omega.”

Immediately there’s a ruckus. Carl has leapt over the filing cabinets to back up his father, his adolescent growls joining his father’s in the air. Merle is snarling, baring his teeth and curling his fingers into a fist as he braces himself for a fight. Milton even moves, backing up from the three riled up alphas forming a semi circle around them and moving to be closer to Daryl and the kits. For a moment there is silence, but then it’s like the alphas of his pack all realise what’s been said and react at once.

“No.”

“No way.”

“Not a chance.”

They fight, thankfully just verbally, with Gareth giving his reasons for his wants and Rick denying every single one. Merle gets in on the action, barking and swearing about how they’re not getting his younger brother. Carl simply growls, snarling and hissing at the others, showing his displeasure even if he’s really got no say in what happens. Milton stays close by him, clearly uneasy, but trying his best to be a barrier between Daryl and the rival pack.

The thing is, Daryl had had a feeling this was coming.

It was in the air around the terminus pack’s territory. A sense of loss, a sense of need. He’d seen the way they’d looked at him when he’d entered the compound, with hope, with interest, as if he was the answer to their prayers. Despite them having the fences and the walls and a safe territory with food and water, the terminus pack looked as if they were being starved of something. Gareth had said it himself, he wanted a future for his pack.

He could be that future for them. Daryl could feel Gareth’s eyes on him, he could feel the way he was watching him, barely interested in Rick and the others in the room that were a threat to him. Instead, he was the most interesting thing to be seen, he was the prize to be one.

Daryl had been here before. He remembers not a few weeks ago at the prison, being up against that fence with his neck bared and begging, pleading for the Governor to bite down on his flesh and make a claim of him. He’d have gone belly up right there and then to protect the pack, but it hadn’t worked and look at them now. Divided. Unsafe. Some lost or dead. He’d lost Lily and possibly Judith because of his failure last time.

Looking down to the kits in his arms, they gaze up at him curiously. They’re still so young, only a few months old, barely crawling yet they know who he is. They know his scent, they mewl for him and he loves them so damned much. They’re not only a part of him, but they’re a part of Rick and a part of Andrea too. He could only hope that they’d understand someday why he had to do this.

He could save them. All of them. Right here and now. The math is clear, give up one to save the rest of the pack. He hadn’t managed it before, but he could do it now and save them all. It would be the right thing to do, the selfless thing to do, and dammit he’d sworn to himself that he was never going to let anything happen to his kits again. This is how they survive, this is how he protects his babies and his pack.

They mewl in his arms when he shifts, whimpering as he sets them down to nestle among the sheets and blankets on the ground. Pressing a kiss to each of their heads he doesn’t want to say goodbye, so he doesn’t, he just takes the time to remember each of their faces as well as he can. His kits would be safe here with the pack, the betas would look after them and the alphas would protect them from harm. This is how they survived and that is all he wanted.

Standing up quietly he climbs over the filing cabinets, ignoring the sounds of his kits wailing for him to come back and taking a step closer to the rival pack. The alphas bristle, Gareth smiles and he can smell the anger rolling off of his pack members when he gives his own answer to the offer.

“Deal.”

“Omega!” Rick snarls, his teeth snapping together as he moves to intercept him. His alpha’s fingers are tight on his arm, grabbing him, holding him still and stopping him from moving any closer towards Gareth.

Thing is, normally he’d listen, especially when Rick calls him omega and growls like that. Daryl would usually bare his neck and whine in submission, but right now he needs to be strong because this is the only answer that he can see. Ignoring his first alpha, he instead faces Gareth, making his demands, trying to be strong when his heart is thudding a million beats a minute.

“I want the pack in here first, safe and well.” He speaks clearly, voice not shaking even if he can feel himself trembling. “I want them all here, I want to see them all first. I want your word that nothing will happen to my kits and that you’ll do your best to make sure that everybody is fed and kept safe.”

Gareth still has that smile on his face, the one that makes him seem like an alpha, a strong and capable alpha who is used to getting his own way. The rival alpha nods, hands out, palms up, a sign of no threat, calm and in control. “You have my word. You can see your pack everyday to check on them if you wish.”

It sounds like a plan, and once the pack was together, they’d be better organised to get out of here together. Plus Carl would have his mother back.

Nodding a little Daryl tries to stand up straighter and act as if this was nothing, but in reality he can feel his heart breaking. “Deal.” He agrees, meeting Gareth’s eyes as the rival alpha snarls for one of his seconds to go and get the rest of his pack.

For a few moments there is quiet in the air, Gareth is still smiling that smug little smile with his arms folded, but Daryl knows his pack aren’t taking his choice anywhere near as well.

Merle grabs at this collar of his shirt, yanking him back, making him stumble as his brother shoves at him to be pinned against the wall. “Daryl what the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Merle barks, his eye wide with panic and Daryl can understand where it’s all coming from. All his brother had ever done was protect him and now here he was giving himself up into the way of harm.

“I’m doing what I should have done at the prison.” Daryl replies and he tries to sound so calm about it. It’s like he’s hollow inside, like he’s been emptied of all hope and his body has committed itself to what has to be done. He knows it’s the right thing to do, for his pack, for his kits.

It’s not enough and his brother is snarling, clearly angry as hell and punching at the wall beside his head. Daryl flinches of course, but it’s not Merle’s fault that he’s pissed, heck this is nobodies fault. It’s just the way it is. His brother hits the wall again and again, and Daryl lets him take out his aggression until Milton is there and pressing against Merle’s back to help calm him down. He’ll be okay. Daryl knows it. Merle has Milton now after all.

Then Rick is there in his face, grabbing at him, shaking him for answers and Daryl can’t help the sad smile that’s on his face when he tries to calm his anxious alpha. “I’m doing what I’m meant to do Rick. I’m protecting my litter however I can.” He explains, and of course Rick doesn’t want to listen.

“You do not have to do this, we’ll find a way to fix this, we’ll get out, we’ll-“

“What?” He asks, tilting his head to meet his alpha’s eye, looking for the answers as desperately as Rick was. “We’ll what Rick? Wish our way out? With three kits to care for? You going to train them to defend themselves out there in the wild?” There is no answer and he knows why. Because Rick doesn’t have any better answer to this situation than he does. This is the only choice.

But Rick is shaking his head, eyes misting with tears as he tries to fight it. “Daryl you are not thinking straight.”

“Yes I am.” He tells him, because he’s thought this through and he knows this is the only way it’s going to work. “This is what I have to do to keep them safe, to keep our pack safe. I didn’t succeed at the prison and now, now Lily is dead Rick and I don’t know where Judith is.” His heart feels tight in his chest when he mentions them, but if its how he gets Rick to understand his decision then so be it. “Or Shane. Or Ty, or Andrea, or Beth. They could be dead, we lost so many pack members that day Rick. And all because I couldn’t give myself up properly to the Governor.”

“This is insane.” His alpha whispers, leaning closer, close enough to press their foreheads together and to breathe the same air as him.

Daryl gives a small sigh, trying to hold back the tears as it all sinks in. “But it’s the only way.” He explains, and that’s going to be his mantra through this whole thing. “You’ll be safe, you’ll have the pack and the kits. The betas can take care of them, you’ll be able to keep them safe, I know you will. This is the only way Rick. I have to do this. It’s all I can do.”

His alpha is shaking, either with anger or upset, he’s not sure. Rick leans close enough to scent him, rubbing their faces together, his beard scratching over Daryl’s cheeks before he’s caught in a crushing kiss. It’s rough and hard, marking and claiming in so many ways. Then when Rick pulls back to bite at his neck, Daryl is already baring himself, gasping as teeth dig into his skin and arcing up for more. His alpha isn’t gentle, Rick claims him hard, clenching his teeth in a harsh bite until Daryl knows he’s been marked up deep enough to last for a long while. It’s probably going to be the last time Rick ever gets to claim him.

When Rick draws away there’s no time to think, because he’s got his arms full of a shaking Carl. The hat has fallen off his head, left on the floor behind him as he buries his face into Daryl’s chest. He wraps his arms around him, one hand on the kid’s back and the other in his hair. It hurts to be leaving him, to be losing them all over again, but at least they’d be safe here and they’d be together. And Carl would have his mother and his father.

“It’s okay.” He tells the kid, leaning down to press a kiss to his hair. Carl smells of fledgling alpha scent, of pack and of home, but he smells of a future and that’s the gift he’s giving them right now. “I’ll be okay. You’ve got to look after the kits for me you hear?” Carl nods against him, sobbing now, clinging to his shirt a little and Daryl hates to leave the kid. But he’d be safe and that was what mattered. “You’re still my little alpha okay?” He tells him and Carl hiccups a little as the sounds of footsteps draw closer.

Looking up to the doorway Daryl can only smile in relief when his pack members begin filing through, one by one. Glenn and Maggie holding hands, Michonne walking through with a stern look in her eyes and Sasha following, Carol and Lori come through and Daryl has to nudge for his little alpha to go to his mother. Carl does so, slipping away from him with a sob to rush into his mother’s arms, burying himself into her with a wail. The other people are new to him, an alpha and three betas, but they stick close to Glenn and Maggie and the way the pack don’t bristle at their presence means that they’re trusted enough to be safe with his kits.

He takes a moment to look over them all as they’re herded inside the room, his pack, as whole and together as he could hope for after the fall of the prison. It’s not perfect, there are gaps and missing people, but it’s enough for now. They will be able to take care of each other now, they would be able to take care of his kits and raise them well. It’s enough; it’s worth it.

“Omega. Come.” Gareth demands of him, voice stern and loud enough to be heard over Merle’s anger, Carl’s sobs, and Rick’s constant growling.

Daryl knows he’s done the right thing, but it doesn’t stop the tears from falling as he walks away from his kits crying out for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Did you miss this fic? Well now that season 5 is pretty much wrapping up, it means I've got the next few chapters planned out for Instinct. So don't worry, we're nowhere near finished yet!
> 
> Update: The wonderful Sarah has made some brilliant fanart of the adult kits! They're exactly as I pictured them being and I'm so happy that someone enjoyed this fic enough to want to draw the kits as adults. Here is the link so you guys can check it out and enjoy it too! Make sure to leave a like! http://fearlessonmybreath.deviantart.com/art/Instinct-Kits-SB-528380915  
> Thank you Sarah!


	24. Finding your Place

Daryl can hear the sound of his kits crying as he walks away. He keeps his eyes focussed on the back of Gareth’s shirt, refusing to look up and acknowledge anything else in the world as he tries to wipe the sound of his babies crying for him from his mind. The tears are still falling as he walks away, but he reaches up to wipe at his cheeks, not wanting to seem weak in front of the terminus pack. This was his choice, he’d decided to be here to save them all and now he just had to live with that choice.

It wasn’t as if there had been any real option for him. At least this way he could protect his pack and his kits, and it was voluntary. Maybe he really didn’t want it, but this way was better, it was better for everybody to give up one omega. This way Rick had all his pack around him; they would look after one another and be able to formulate a plan to get out of here. He had faith in his alpha and his pack; they were going to be fine. At least they were alive.

“You’re going to like it here.” Gareth tells him, voice confident as he leads Daryl away from his pack and out to the main territory of terminus. It’s all concrete, tarmac hot from the Georgia sun, metal fences surrounding them and keeping the main building of the train station separated from the outside world and the walkers. There aren’t many around the fences, not that Daryl can see at least, and even if there were any walkers he knew the patrol of five or so alphas roaming the perimeter would take care of them.

He’s a prisoner. There is no other way to see it. He may be willing, but he’s still their captive, and immediately he’s checking to see what defences they have going for them.

Leaving behind his pack in the small room they’d been trapped in makes him feel hollow, especially when he notes the three alphas left to guard the door. He knows there will be an ever changing shift there, constantly keeping watch on them at all times and ready to take down Rick, Merle or any of the others that dare to try and escape. Daryl isn’t too worried; he knows his pack isn’t stupid. They won’t even think of attacking until they’re ready, with weapons and strength and a plan for escape. For now, they were safe. That was what counted.

“We have a stable territory, with methods to keeping away the biters that work and a good load of supplies.” Gareth continues, barely even looking at him as he continues the tour around the territory. Daryl can smell the scent of pack around him, a new pack that he was going to have to get used to being a part of now. It makes his heart clench in upset, but he does not have time to break down, not now. Later maybe, but not now.

“Supplies taken from others who came here looking for sanctuary as well?” He asks, because he wants to know everything about this terminus pack. Right now he doesn’t have the strength to take them down or get his pack out of here, but if he plays his cards right then maybe he could have the knowledge of how they work.

Gareth chuckles before him, turning on his heel to face Daryl. “Some of them yes.” There is a dangerous glint in his eyes, one that Daryl knows to be wary of when an alpha is behind it. “We do what we need to do to survive. We were willing to offer all of you to join our pack, but you made your choice before we had the chance.”

“You wouldn’t take me to my kits. Did you think we were going to trust you after that?” Daryl cannot help but growl a little in response. It’s not respectful towards the alpha, but when the safety of his kits was in question he was not going to back down.

There are growls of response from the other alphas following them; one even stepping forward towards him with a clenched fist and it’s only because of Gareth’s raised hand that Daryl isn’t walking away with a black eye. It’s been so long since he’s been around any other pack other than his own, and they were used to his odd ways. Daryl knows he doesn’t act like regular omegas, but he wasn’t exactly sure how to do that. He had a feeling this terminus pack was going to help him learn. Fast.

“I can understand that sometimes omega emotions can overwhelm your common sense.” Gareth continues as if there hadn’t been any interruption, the alphas back down without question and Daryl can feel just how strong a rule Gareth has over his pack. They continue walking, Daryl being shown the fences, the gardens, the buildings and having his prison shown off to him with a smile. “Frankly, we’d forgotten just how emotional omegas can get when it comes to their kits. It’s been a while since we had any around here.” The other man chuckles and it makes Daryl’s stomach drop a little.

“Your pack had omegas before?” He asks.

“Yes.” Gareth nods. “Two.”

He knows that they’re not here anymore. Daryl would have been able to smell them. Running his tongue over his lips he’s worried about asking but he has to know, he wants to know if his fate was going to be the same. “What happened to them?” It’s whisper of a question, but he has to know.

There is a moment of silence between them, Gareth nodding for the alphas to leave them as he continues leading Daryl through their territory and into the main station building. It’s cold. The building doesn’t have a sense of life to it at all. Sure the pack lives here, but there is nothing to say that this place was a home. It’s a huge contrast to the prison. In a way the two places were similar, big building not meant to ever be a home. But the prison had been exactly that because they’d made it that way. This place just felt dead inside.

Other pack members walk around, working hard. Daryl can see the betas doing the menial chores, cleaning, laundry and even caring for the few children that mill around the place. Clearly they were able to breed themselves; there were children of varying ages here, alive and thriving. It gives him a glimmer of hop for his kits, but also makes him worry if these children were not enough for Gareth. Alphas also move about the place, the more lower ranked among them working on what looks like a radio, some bringing in what looks like freshly flayed meat to the betas to cook up. The higher ranked alphas had remained outside, defending the territory.

It’s a pack certainly and they all look to Daryl questioningly as he follows Gareth through the place, but it doesn’t feel like his old pack. His old pack was a family. A mish mash of people brought together through circumstance that had found love and a family despite the odds. This pack felt disjointed. Like people that were forced into place and stuck with it through necessity. Square pegs rammed into round holes and forced to fit because there was no other choice. It was nothing like he was used to, it didn’t feel safe and warm like he thought a pack should be.

It makes him feel even more worried for his own safety.

They trail about through the main room, and Gareth leads him down a hallway, past a lot of closed and padlocked doors until they reach what must be the bedroom. The scent of pack is thick in the air and Daryl takes in the surroundings. One lone king sized bed stands at the head of the room, surrounded by a sea of mattresses on the floor. It makes him whine a little in the back of his throat, wrapping his arms around himself as he suddenly feels cold.

Back when he’d still gone to school, he’d actually enjoyed learning about history and the dynamics of a pack. He’d liked the thought of it all before he’d presented as an omega, and found the ways packs had worked throughout history interesting. He remembers reading about sleeping arrangements that packs could adopt and ways that alphas would show their dominance and control through choosing who slept where.

He had no doubt that Gareth slept on the bed in the centre, probably with a beta or two that he was trying to breed with at the time. The other alphas would be nearest to him, his own protection, his own personal bodyguard to keep him from harm when he was at his most vulnerable. Around the outside of the room would be the betas, possibly clustered in smaller family groups, kits and children with their parents for safety. It was basic; it was ancient pack dynamics that had been around since before the industrial revolution. He thought it had been forgotten about it was so old.

Daryl knew his own pack was unconventional, but they worked. Rick was their first alpha, their leader, the one they looked to for leadership and guidance. They slept in their own family groups, or wherever they pleased. Rick lead their pack with a firm but loving hand, leading from the front, not controlling with fear and drawing invisible lines of division between each of the hierarchies within the pack. It’s wrong here. It feels so damned wrong but Daryl knows he’s going to have to get used to it to make this work.

Swallowing back the worry he tries not to show his fear as he turns back to a still smiling Gareth, repeating himself from before since he never got an answer. “What happened to your previous omegas?”

Gareth grins to him, leaning in the doorway of the pack bedroom and watching him, looking him up and down in a way that makes Daryl very aware that he’s an omega. “It doesn’t matter. We have you now Daryl.” The alpha tells him, taking a step closer to him, running a tongue over his teeth in a manner Daryl finds predatory. “A new omega to provide us with more kits, to help our pack grow stronger.”

The fear Daryl’s been sitting on since he got here churns in his stomach again, making him avert his eyes to the ground and tighten his grip around himself. “And my kits, my pack, they’ll be safe?” He asks, voice lowered, dainty and submissive, because that is what he’s meant to be right now. It’s hard to remember after a lifetime of pretending to be something he’s not, but he needs to make sure he doesn’t ruin this.

“Of course.” The alpha reassures him, voice soothing but sounding so damned different to Rick’s or Shane’s that it makes Daryl shiver at the sound of it. “So long as you stick to your side of our arrangement, no harm will come to them.” Gareth tells him and Daryl knows this is going to be a challenge.

But it’s one he cannot fail. He doesn’t have anything else to go on but Gareth’s word, but right now it’s all he has. There is no other way out of this, in a fight his pack would lose due to numbers, weapons, health and the fact that they had kits to protect. Daryl knows he’s a prisoner here, a hostage to keep his pack safe, but it’s a choice that he’d made for them all. Nodding he keeps his eyes down to the floor, voice quiet as he tries to make sure that Gareth knows he doesn’t have any other plan here. “Meant what I said. I’ll be your pack’s omega, I’ll do whatever you want.” He tells him.

He can feel the smug grin on Gareth’s face before he looks up to see it, feeling the way the other man stands taller, his alpha pose strong and unquestionable. This isn’t the first omega that Gareth has dealt with, Daryl knows that now and from looking at the way this pack runs he is aware that his place is at the bottom. His pack was unconventional, he was allowed to speak his mind and act like the fake alpha he always pretended to be. But not here. Here that wouldn’t be tolerated.

“When do I get my weapons back?” Daryl ends up asking, not used to being without some way to defend himself in case of a walker attack. “My bow? My knife?”

“Weapons?” Gareth chuckles a little, stepping closer to him with a shake of his head and loose shrug. “You don’t need weapons. You’ll be protected by the pack, omegas have no use for weapons.” The alpha tells him and Daryl can’t help but flinch when Gareth’s hand cups his cheek.

Right now he feels small. It’s been so long since he hasn’t been able to defend himself. Ever since he’d first presented Merle had been drilling it into his head that he needed to protect himself by acting like an alpha. Now here he was, with the safety of himself, his kits and his pack relying on his ability to be the perfect omega. It makes him shiver, in fear and worry, but what choice does he have anymore?

Swallowing back the want to growl at having another alpha besides his own touch him, Daryl closes his eyes for a moment. He can still feel Rick’s claiming bite on his neck, the bruise deep and marking so much more than just flesh. It means so much to him, a claim to keep him, a mark to show the world that he is loved and cared for. But it means nothing now. Because he can’t be Rick’s omega anymore, not if he wants to keep them alive.

Gareth shifts closer still, moving into his space, the new scent invasive and strange, strong and controlling as Daryl tries to breathe. There is a low growl from the alpha, loud, claiming as his teeth are bared and Daryl can’t help but whimper. He has no weapons, no pack, no hope and no chance to fight this anymore. The scent of a new alpha is overwhelming; Gareth smells nothing like Rick, he’s a mix of metal and concrete, industrial and human made scents. Rick was all woodland, dirt and tree bark with the echo of the morning dew. It clashes; it burns his nostrils and makes him want to gag at how wrong it feels to be enveloped in someone else’s scent.

Clenching his fists hard enough to feel his fingernails digging into his palms, Daryl grounds himself, reminds himself that this is for the pack and the kits. Tilting his head to the side, he bares his neck for Gareth, whining lightly in supplication to the alpha. His new alpha.

Teeth latch onto his neck quickly, covering the mark left by Rick before and Gareth clamps his jaws hard. It hurts, but Daryl doesn’t struggle. He whines and whimpers, makes light noises of submission as Gareth snarls and grabs at his shoulders, holds him close and claims him hard. Daryl can feel the bruise forming over the top of Rick’s mark, erasing his old alpha from his body and remarking him clear for all to see. It’s a brand, a form of ownership forged before humankind had even created language, a way of showing hierarchy and claims to anyone else looking. It makes Daryl’s stomach churn when Gareth pulls back and trails his tongue over the bruising flesh to sooth the ache.

The alpha reaches up to cradle his face properly, both hands cupping his cheeks and stroking a thumb over his cheeks. Daryl still can’t bear to open his eyes just yet. His entire body feels like it wants to revolt against what’s just happened, but he can’t let it, he can’t fail at this. So he bites his lower lip, clenches his fists again and pushes back the tears that want to fall.

“Th-thank you alpha.” Daryl ends up stuttering. It hurts to say it when it’s not Rick or Shane before him, but it’s what he has to do.

A hand pats at his cheek before pulling back, Gareth draws away from him and Daryl peeks out from beneath his lashes to watch as the other man pauses in the doorway. “Get settled in omega, your new pack is pleased to have you.”

The door closes behind Gareth with a finality that scares him and Daryl is left alone in the pack bedroom, surrounded by unfamiliar scents and the knowledge that he was going to have to get used to it. Sliding down against a wall he sits in the corner on the floor, wraps his arms around his legs and lets his head drop to his knees. The sobs come easily when he reaches up to trail his fingers over his bruised neck, feeling the new mark of Gareth’s obscure all that was left of Rick’s. He was an omega. The omega of a new pack. Gareth’s pack. Gareth’s omega.

It hurts so much to not be Rick’s anymore.

Over time Daryl finds it hard to remember who he is anymore. His whole life has been spent being caught between feeling like an omega and acting like an alpha. Now he is an omega in every single way, and if he forgets it for a second, his new pack reminds him. Firmly.

It’s as if he’s rereading through the old school textbooks as he lives out his new daily life. Techniques and behaviours he’s only ever heard about are now a part of his life and it’s taking him time to learn it all and put it into affect. The terminus pack are basic in their instinct, they act so differently and though it’s new, Daryl actually finds himself falling into the same behaviours as they display.

The first night he learns his place for sleeping, in the corner of the room with no mattress and merely a blanket for protection. He doesn’t fight against it, not when the rest of the pack is clearly unsure of his new presence. The alphas snap at him, growl and bare their teeth in his direction if he gets too close to their areas, and the betas simply huff and turn him away. Daryl keeps to himself, ignores the laughter coming from Gareth on the bed and faces the wall to get some sleep.

There are areas of the territory that he is banned from going into. Only alphas are allowed into the food stores in the train cars, only alphas are allowed to go through supplies and hand them out, only alphas are allowed near the weapons cache. At first it makes him snarl, the anger at his situation and suddenly being told no by people he doesn’t care about or respect gets to his head. The old Dixon attitude comes into play and he’s trying to barge down a restricted hallway, pushing at a couple of alphas and wanting to have his way. It doesn’t work.

Two on one is never a fair fight, but after having so little food for so long, really Daryl doesn’t have a chance. He gives the best he can, growls and claws at them both, but it’s not long before he’s pinned to the floor. Punches hit at his ribs, kicks land on his sides and he’s whimpering before curling up to try and protect himself. The bruises don’t take long to form, and the alphas drag him back to the main room to toss him on his ass in front of the rest of the pack. Humiliating him easily as they spit on his crumpled body and turn back to their duty.

No one comes to help him up. The rest of the pack laugh at him, some mothers telling their children that omegas were stupid and needed to be put in their place more often than not. The kids laugh, some growl in his direction and others even spit at him when he finally gets to his feet and drags himself to the corner of the room. There is no respect here. He is an omega, the lowest of the low, and this pack; his new pack let him know it.

Gareth marks him up daily, rebiting over the claiming mark. They barely talk, he’s not even a human to them anyway, nothing more than an object for them to own and use as they wish. He is given chores to do, the betas instructing him when they have to, but really he’s mainly told to keep out of the way. Some sneered and told him that omegas were to be seen and not heard. It hurts to hear, even if he hates them all.

The only part of the day that he looks forward to is his visit. Gareth may be a prick, but at least he kept his word. Daryl is allowed for five minutes a day to see his pack and his kits. Thing is, he’s not allowed near them.

Instead he’s made to stand at one end of the tarmac covered outside, back pressed against the main building with Gareth beside him as the heavily armed alphas get his pack. It’s awful to see them paraded about before him in order, every single one of them made to walk in a line, one behind the other, out the door, in a circle so he can see them and then back into the locked room that is their prison. His kits are carried with them, Carl, Lori and Carol carrying one each and making his heart catch in his throat at being so far away from them. He can still hear their cries, no matter how far away they are.

“Please.” He’d asked Gareth once, when it had hurt too much to bear and his vision had been blurred with tears. “Let me go to them. Just to hold them, just for a minute.”

He’d been shoved to the floor and made to roll belly up for Gareth as they’d been paraded about that day. Gareth’s boot pressed to his neck, pressing down and choking him for air for even asking to go to his kits. Daryl didn’t ask again after that.

Living with a new pack isn’t easy. He has nobody here that wants to know him as anything more than an omega. Gareth talks to him, but usually its just orders, cocky comments and something that makes Daryl say ‘yes alpha’ and lets him give him that cocky grin. That’s Gareth’s favourite game, making Daryl call him alpha. It hurts every single time, but he has to do it. It’s what’s keeping them all alive right now.

So he suffers through it. He deals with the hits that come his way for simply asking a question. Daryl copes with the children spitting on him and ordering him about because even unpresented, they’re of a higher rank in the pack than he is. Daryl learns to eat last, getting the scraps from their food after everybody else is done with it. He doesn’t know what it is they’re catching, and he hasn’t seen anybody hunt, but it’s meat and when his stomach is aching with hunger, he’ll eat it. They’re certainly thriving here, they have gardens and vegetables, a way to sustain themselves throughout the winter and keep their children safe. A few of the betas are pregnant and Daryl can see that they have no worry for their kits, not like he did for his in the prison.

Everyday is a trial, but he knows they’re safe and well fed. Even if he can’t be a part of it anymore, his pack, the old pack, are safe and looked after. It may not be comfortable or what they want, but it’s enough for the moment. Just for now until they can work something out.

It’s what he’s hoping to accomplish. He’s been a part of the terminus pack for a week now and it’s with a belly full of nerves that he heads to the main room this morning. Head down, breathing heavily he tries to keep calm as he approaches where Gareth is giving his alphas the orders for the day, rotating their duties and ensuring the entire compound is kept safe and running smoothly. Daryl says nothing, simply remains on the outskirts of the group and awaits to be noticed. Seen and not heard, not speaking unless he’s spoken to. The perfect little omega.

“Omega?” Gareth calls to him, beckons for him to come forward and the alphas snarl at him as he walks past to speak to his alpha. Daryl tries his best to ignore them, but his nerves are shot after a week of being treated like dirt. It reminds him of being a kid again and he’d not sure if he’s strong enough to deal with that again. Gareth reaches out to cup his face, lifting his gaze from the floor and smirking lightly when Daryl gets a look at his face. “Speak.”

“I wanted to ask you somethin’ alpha.” He murmurs, trying to seem calmer than he feels. “’bout…’bout the pack we’re keepin’ locked up.” Running his tongue over his lips he can feel the eyes upon him in the main room, everybody glaring at the dumb omega for daring to speak about matters that don’t concern him.

Gareth holds a hand up to them all, hushing the growls starting in the surrounding alpha’s throats and keeping everyone else at bay. Keeping Daryl’s gaze he speaks calmly, but there is a darkness in his eyes that worries Daryl. “What about them?”

The bruise on his neck throbs a little, Gareth’s claiming bite aching as Daryl ducks his head when he speaks. “Are you going to let them join us? They’ve not tried to escape. They’ve behaved.” He whispers, remembering just how angry Rick had looked every time he’d been walked out in front of Daryl as proof of his well-being. “I’ve behaved.” He points out, thinking of how difficult the past week has been. “I’m yours alpha, only yours forever, I truly am. I just…what’s goin’ to happen to them?”

Because even if they’re not his pack anymore, he still cares. His kits are in there, his brother, and even if he knows he needs to be loyal to the terminus pack and his alpha, he still cares about them all. He needs to know that they’re going to be safe and a pack can survive trapped in one room, but they can’t thrive. If Gareth would only give them a chance, maybe he could get Rick to agree to submit to him? He just needs them safe.

His alpha frowns to him a little, but he’s listening, he’s actually hearing the words Daryl says and thinking about it. It’s hope, however small. “You think they could join us?” Gareth asks him and immediately Daryl is nodding.

“They’re good workers alpha. Would only make us stronger.” He points out, running his tongue over his lips again and baring his bruised neck. Dropping to his knees he submits completely, more than willing to go belly up if he has to in order to get Gareth to even think about making the offer. “Please alpha.” Daryl whines, pressing his forehead to Gareth’s hip, nuzzling a little and trying not to cringe at the unfamiliar scent of his new alpha surrounding him. “I’ll do anything alpha.”

There is a moment of pause between them all; Daryl remains on his knees, low and submissive, begging for a chance to be listened to. Gareth’s fingers run through his hair softly, combing through it for a moment and Daryl makes sure not to flinch at the motions. It’s meant to be reassuring and if it was coming from someone else, maybe it would be, but Daryl’s still struggling to come to terms with this being his new alpha. Still he’s trying. He’s trying so damned hard.

“Come.” Gareth orders and before he can even think about what that might mean, Daryl’s being tugged to his feet by the other alphas and shoved to follow Gareth down the hall. The second alphas follow them both, some grinning, others murmuring to each other and laughing over some inside joke that he’s not privy to.

Gareth leads them down a hallway that is usually kept out of bounds for Daryl and he finds himself more on edge as they move deeper into the main building of terminus. “I understand that you’ve been finding your place in the pack Daryl. I have seen that it’s been difficult for you.” His alpha tells him, boots clicking on the floor as they walk. There is a confidence to his stride that Daryl can’t mirror, not when he’s so on edge like this.

“Yes it has alpha.” He agrees, voice low and submissive, as it should be. The alphas behind them seem excited as they turn down a new corridor, and that makes Daryl feel even more uneasy.

“Tell me, are those kits your first litter?” Gareth asks him and the question throws Daryl for a loop.

“Y-yes alpha.”

The lead alpha nods, coming to a stop outside of a heavy metal door, reaching into his pocket for a ring of keys and slowly sorting through them. “You did well. Three healthy kits from a first litter, and out on the road too.” Gareth almost sounds impressed with him and Daryl hates how there is a small flicker of pride and happiness in his chest at being given praise by his alpha. But it’s not enough to stop the heartache that comes with his next words.

“I had five kits.” He tells Gareth, closing his eyes for a second as he tries to keep it together. “They…they’re all I have left now.”

Daryl can remember their birth, the few weeks he’d locked himself away with only them and Merle in the closet and it had been only him and them. They were his precious kits, his litter, his babies and he was doing all of this for them. For all he had left of them.

“I see.” Gareth at least has the common courtesy to reach out a hand to clasp on his shoulder, to try and give some semblance of comfort to him for his loss. But it only lasts a second and then the fingers are digging in to Daryl’s shoulder painfully, making him whimper as Gareth continues. “So I can understand that you wish to keep them safe, to have them near and get to see them. It’s understandable that you’d be so attached to them.” Gareth tells him, and Daryl can feel as the other alphas draw in closer, boxing him in, circling him as if he’s prey and they’re the hunters. “But you’re with our pack now Daryl. You are our omega, you are _my_ omega.” The alpha hisses and Daryl can see the pure rage in his eyes now.

It makes him tremble a little in Gareth’s grip, omega instincts kicking in, making him duck his head, want to bare his neck and roll onto the floor with a whimper. “Yes alpha…” He whines, hoping for mercy.

“It’s time you started learning fully what that means.” The alphas all bark in delight at Gareth’s words. Some whooping and hollering, others calling out for a mating, one sneering at the ‘bitch’ he is and even Gareth gives a little smirk and shakes him in place. Daryl knows what he means, he’s not stupid. But it does make him worry and try to find a way out of it.

“Alpha? But…I’m not in heat for another couple of weeks…”

“We have a solution to that problem.”

Daryl’s heart skips a beat when Gareth opens the locked door and turns on the light in the small room. The walls are bare, the floor is concrete and there is only one thing in the centre of the room.

A breeding stand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Missed you guys! So glad to finally get some more inspiration for this series and looking forward to letting you guys see how things are going to play out. Remember I'm happy to answer any questions and hop you enjoy! <3


	25. Lead from the front

It is an alpha’s duty to protect his pack at all times.

Shane knows this, he’s known it since he’d first presented alongside Rick, the pair of them presenting as alphas within days of each other. It’s the core purpose of an alpha, to protect, to provide, to be the leader and carer of his own. Yet here he was, walking closer to danger with the remains of his pack following. Tyreese carries Judith with him, the other alpha bringing up the rear of their fragmented part of their previous pack. Micah and Lizzie are in the middle, holding each other’s hands but looking as determined as he feels. The girls are strong, maybe not physically, but their bond was strong between them and he knows he can trust them to do as he tells them. Lizzie has already presented, a young alpha, but an alpha all the same, her blood is telling her to fight for her pack, and as much as Shane knows she is too young for that responsibility, a part of him is still glad for the backup.

He keeps a vigilant eye on their surroundings as they walk, following the rail tracks, following the tiny bit of hope they’d just found the other day. The scent of pack. It’s weak, old, covered beneath dirt and dust and time, but it’s there, it’s real and it’s something he can’t let just pass him by. So they walk, they trail over the rail tracks and as they move there are more signs that they’re on the right path. It’s weak, it’s stale, but he’d know Rick’s scent anywhere. Trees lining the tracks have his scent on them, his best friend marking his territory even when he was on the move and Shane can feel the hope grow within himself every time he scents over another one.

As they move closer there are more signs, these ones physical with names and directions and scents mingled all over them. His pack marking the way to their location with names scrawled in mud on signposts and their scents stained in handprints. Including the tiny, weak scents of kits. It makes him excited, it gets him picking up their pace and moving quicker along the rail tracks to get to their destination. They move together, camping on the tracks each night and every morning brings with it the excitement of being one step closer to their pack. The days are tiring, they are weak with only a few supplies, but Judith is well fed, the bag of supplies the girls had grabbed was a real life saver out here where they were vulnerable. Judith still whimpers, whines and clings as kits are want to do, and though Shane scents her as best he can and lets her cling to him, he knows she’s missing her omega parent more.

Thinking of the pack he can feel himself whine as they move, missing those he loves and cares for. He hasn’t been separated from Rick, Lori or Carl for this long before and it aches in his chest to not be close to them. Then there were his new pack members, old and young, those he adored and swore to protect as best he could. Including his omega. He hopes Daryl is safe. He can smell him in the scented areas, his scent being blurred out by the stronger scents of Rick and Carl, but he knows he’s there, beneath everybody else’s. There is the fear for everybody still inside of him. He knew some of the pack had survived, some scents stick out to him and he knows they’re alive, but others are missing, glaringly obvious in their absence and he knows their pack will be smaller now.

He’s moving along the tree line when he finds it in the air, a tang, metallic and harsh, mixing with the sweetest smell he’s ever known. Blood and an omega’s heat. Not a good combination to find, and his heart is racing as he leads them closer to the source of it all. Down a ways on the tracks is blood, pools of it, smears of it and a few body parts that had been left behind by the walkers that had gotten to the deceased. He growls as he paces, hating that there is the lingering scent of an omega, his omega, in heat in the area. Daryl had been here. Daryl and Rick had been here and there was blood and death in the air.

They don’t linger long, not when Shane knows there can only be one reason for the scene they laid eyes upon, especially if there was the scent of an omega’s heat surrounding it. Someone had tried to touch Daryl, someone had tried to taint his omega and now they had paid the price. He knows Rick, knows the man he follows loyally would have done what it took to keep their omega safe. It still makes him snarl, and as they continue down the tracks to their destination, he makes sure to keep an eye out for more danger. Just in case.

It takes time, and between finding food and water, shelter and new supplies, they don’t draw in on the scent of a new territory until a few days after the discovery of the blood. Immediately Shane is on edge, alert and keeping an eye for any lookouts around the place. It’s the place they’ve been looking for, the one on the signs the pack had scented for them, to follow. It’s the place where all the scents of pack are lingering, smothered, lost beneath the veil of another pack’s scent. Terminus.

There are fences, buildings, an old station by the looks of things and certainly the scent of a large pack. So they were outnumbered, that wasn’t a problem right now, all he needed to do was stay low, keep his pack safe and figure out what was going on. If Rick and the rest of the pack were inside and safe then it would be no problem, they would be welcomed with open arms. Thing is, he can’t see any of his pack outside right now. There were strangers, alphas by the looks of things, low ranking ones at that, most likely guards of the territory. None seemed to have picked up on their scent, as of yet, they all seemed to be distracted by something going on. They were in luck; it meant they could observe them for longer without being spotted if the borders were not the focus of their attention.

Shane keeps the members of his pack he has left close to him, he and Tyreese pinning the girls between them at all times, careful of anybody trying to sneak up on them. They stay vigilant, and Shane knows they’re all just waiting on his word to see what they will do. Terminus is strange, the alphas patrolling the edge of the territory do so methodically, but there is no life inside the place. It makes him feel uneasy, especially when he doesn’t see any of their pack at all. But he can be patient, he can wait, and when all he can smell is his pack’s scent and yet see no sign of them, he knows it’s not the best course of action to barge in. They needed to be smart about this.

There is a flurry of movement suddenly within the fences of Terminus, and Shane is making sure to listen closely. It’s two alphas, one male, and one female. Most likely mid ranked in the pack, and they both stride out of the building with grins on their faces, barking for the other alphas in the area to join them. There is an excitement in the air, he can feel it, can smell it, and fortunately for him the alphas all gather into a group before the two that have just turned up. It leaves them grinning, raising their voices to talk to the group altogether, and Shane may have to strain, but he can hear them too.

“Listen up!” The female barks, and immediately the others are all gazing at her obediently. “It’s time. We’ve been waiting all week for this, but Gareth has finally decided it’s time to put the new omega to the test.” There is a round of hoots and hollers, the alphas all muttering to each other, grinning and bouncing on their toes for more information. The excitement of an omega being there rushing through them. “Of course our first gets the bitch for round one, but Gareth says he’s free for us afterwards, and I think we can all put him to good use. It’s been a while since we’ve last had an omega to breed up, hopefully he’ll last longer than the last two.” She sniggers and the alphas follow suite, all grinning to themselves, and some already reaching down to rub over themselves lewdly.

“Gareth’s got that omega bitch in the breeding room now, probably strapping him down as we speak.” The male one tells them, stepping forwards and looking like he can’t wait for the fun to begin. “But first we’ve got a job to do, Gareth wants the omega’s old pack dealt with. They’ve been here long enough, eating our food, using our resources. They won’t submit to him, that first alpha of theirs is too proud and stupid, thinking his omega is more than just a breeding bitch.” He growls and the others all nod in agreement. “They are to be killed, start with those kits first, I want to wear their blood on my hands when I fuck their omega parent.” There are more sounds of agreement from the other alphas, all of them grinning and looking like they can’t wait.

Shane knows he’s snarling, but he can’t stop himself. There is only one male omega they can be talking about. Only one pack he can smell in the territory that aren’t a part of the Terminus pack. Only one alpha he knows who would be stubborn enough to never submit to another. His pack. His Rick. His omega. Daryl.

Immediately he knows they cannot wait anymore, they need to get in there. From the sounds of it their pack was being held captive in there somewhere, he needed to get inside and find them before it was too late. “Tyreese, you need to take the girls and head back to the house we found a while back. Keep them safe. Don’t come back here, we’ll come to you.” He’s expecting protest, but not from the girls.

“But alpha!” Micah squeaks, her arms around Judith, cradling the kit and looking frightened. Immediately Shane bends to butt heads with her, pressing a kiss to her forehead and running his fingers through her hair before nuzzling at his kit. Judith babbles, reaching for him and it hurts to have to turn down her want for comfort.

“Stay with Tyreese.” Shane orders her, meeting her eyes and waiting until Micah is nodding before he continues. “He’ll keep you safe.” Glancing up to Tyreese, Shane can see the understanding in his eyes, the acceptance, the will to follow orders and protect their young as well as he can. The other man takes Judith from Micah’s arms, holding her easily as he tugs the fledgling girl closer to himself, giving her comfort as best he can.

Micah does as she is told, falls into line easily and even if she hasn’t presented yet, Shane knows she will never be a leader. Not like her sister. “No. I want to help.” Lizzie hisses to him, eyes ablaze with strength, with the will to fight and succeed. She may have presented early, but she’s an alpha through and through, wanting to be active in saving their pack and not pushed to the side like a child anymore.

Shane growls a little at her attitude, keeping her in line, in her place. “Lizzie, it’s too dangerous.” He points out, already going through his ammo, trying to make sure he’s as well armed as he can be when preparing to enter an enemy pack’s territory. It was never going to be easy, but Shane knows he has to try, for his pack.

“No.” Still the young girl snaps at him, her young alpha instincts making her assume she knows best as she challenges him. Of course Shane gives a low growl of warning, and at least Lizzie has the sense to duck her head in submission before continuing. “You go in there you’ll be killed before you even get near them. You need back up. I’m good with the rifle, I can cover you.” She hisses, hands wrapped around the weapon, standing firm, like an alpha.

He knows she is right about him getting gunned down if he goes in there guns blazing. It’s always been one of his downfalls, being far too bull-headed and willing to dive in before thinking things through. It’s part of the reason he and Rick work so well as a team. Rick is his first, the pack’s first for a reason. They’d fought when they were younger, the usual fight for dominance that still cropped up every now and again, and Rick had come out the victor. The first, the one who made the choices for them, the one who thought things through and made their plans, the one who would think of all the options before diving in headfirst. It balanced him out, they were the perfect team to lead a pack and right now Shane feels Rick’s absence more than ever.

Of course he would prefer being able to do this on his own, but one alpha against an entire pack? It wouldn’t work. He could make Lizzie stay with Micah and Judith, let he and Tyreese take them all on. But then what if they never came back? Two young girls and a baby out in the world alone? Growling to himself he never wanted to be put in a position like this, but here he was and there was a choice to be made here.

“You do not take one step beyond those fences Lizzie.” He growls, voice low, a clear command for her to follow. Lizzie is nodding, not smiling, not acting like she’s won, because they both know that nobody is going to win if they don’t succeed. “You stay out here, stay low, stay hidden. Take out those you can but if you get spotted? You run and you do not look back, you hear me?” Shane orders and he finds the young girl nodding to him, shifting the silenced rifle higher on her shoulder as she does so.

“Yes alpha.” Lizzie agrees, looking determined if nothing else. “I won’t let you down.”

They all move as one to give comfort to each other, Lizzie and Micah hugging, baby Judith babbling at the attention and butting head with them both, trying to copy the motions of scenting that she’s learned. Shane rests his forehead against Tyreese’s briefly, acknowledgement from one alpha to another, respect, a wish for strength and safety. He moves to press a kiss to baby Judith last of all, nuzzling her, enjoying her brief squeak of enjoyment as they enjoy scents. If nothing else, he wants to keep her, his kit, his future, safe.

It aches, hurts something deep inside of himself as Tyreese leads Micah and Judith away, breaking their pack apart even more, just all in the hope of saving it. But they have to do this. They have to at least try. For the pack.

\-----

Merle knows he is not the best at being locked up. Before the walkers, before the infection, before everything, he’d spent his share of time locked up in a cell. He’d done his time, spent the months constantly fighting, snarling at the other alphas he was penned with, segregated away from the betas and omegas. Unable to make a pack if they were separated, unable to be a team, a unit, unable to get stronger together. Sure he’d never had a pack before all this, but that had been through choice.

He’d spent his years roaming, doing the odd job here and there, turning to drugs, drink, anything that would numb him from noticing how alone he was all the time. It had been for good reason though. If Daryl had been an alpha then things would have been different. They could have been the head of a pack together, could have gotten themselves a family, could have spent their lives roaming with a pack and being happy. But Daryl was an omega, and no matter what his own craving was, Merle knew he couldn’t leave Daryl like that. If he’d created his own pack, Daryl wouldn’t have been able to follow. No point for an alpha to have a related omega around, one he couldn’t breed with. So he’d stayed, ignored the want for others and instead focussed on keeping Daryl safe, on not letting his baby brother get sold by their father, and making sure he knew how to defend himself as best he could.

Who knew after the end of the world they’d find a pack that fit both of them?

Sure technically Daryl had found it first, gotten himself in good by going and getting pregnant by the alphas, but thing is, this pack fits them. It’s not conventional, the lead duo of Rick and Shane don’t rule with violence, they lead with heart and even if Merle never thought he would find a pack that fit them both, this one is doing pretty perfectly. Daryl wasn’t abused for being an omega, wasn’t even punished for acting like an alpha most of the time, Merle had to admit, he had respect for alphas who would let that slide. It may be awkward, it may be a band of misfits, but it worked somehow.

Even if he’d never planned for it, somehow they’d found a pack, fallen in, gotten a family out of it too and through all the shit, even he’d found himself caring for them all. Somehow found himself a beta in Milton. Fuck knows how that happened. But it’s good, it’s more than he’d ever thought he’d be allowed to have, and that’s why he’s so damned determined that they’re going to make it out of this mess.

They had to. Merle Dixon was not going to stand down and lose a pack he’d waited all his life for, just because some stuck up, smug alpha called Gareth didn’t want to share his territory. Now that fucker had his brother, and had broken him down enough to get him acting like nothing more than a bitch to be owned and treated like shit. It makes him snarl everyday, makes him hammer his fists to the door and try to break out for the hundredth time. The pack are weak in here. Fed barely enough to keep going, the betas having to use their energy to keep the kits fed and happy, and a pack wasn’t meant to be confined within four walls.

It’s driving them all a little stir crazy, and he knows that being patient, waiting for the right time to get free and get out, was wearing them all down. Rick is damned near feral, pacing constantly, a growl almost always echoing from his throat. They’re all afraid, all wanting to survive, wanting to take out the threat and claim a territory of their own. It’s unnatural to be penned inside another pack’s territory like this, to be cornered, caged, unable to live, only just allowed to survive. It’s the scents that are the worst. All he can smell is the other pack, and the faint smell of Daryl beneath it all. His brother is being shown his place, of that Merle is sure, he can’t think of any other pack that would allow an omega to act like Daryl did. It makes him sick to think about it, so he tries to focus on other things.

Taking care of the kits is a priority and since he’s the one with the scent closest to Daryl’s, they seem to find some comfort in being with him too. So he grooms them, scents them, tries to keep them from hollering at all hours. He’s not got the necessary body parts to keep them fed, but Lori, Carol and Milton have that covered, so at least the kits aren’t going hungry. They’re still unsure though, and even if they can’t talk, they chirp and mewl, calling for Daryl, for their omega parent. He wishes he could soothe them more, could give them answers and promise them safety and a long life ahead of them. Thing is, he knows if any of them are living on borrowed time, it’s the kits. A litter from a rival, surrounded, only kept to keep Daryl subdued, it wouldn’t be long before the Terminus pack removed the threat to their own young. The thought makes him sick, causes him to remember Lily’s cries in his arms, how she’d looked to him for help from the pain, how he’d only had one option left to him.

“Something’s different.” Glenn interrupts his line of thought, thankfully dragging him back to the here and now. The beta’s been on lookout for a while now, pressed up against the wall, peeking through the tiniest of cracks, always listening for any sound that’s different from usual.

Automatically he’s nodding for Milton to take his place beside the kits, moving to be alongside Rick as they move to listen to the activity happening outside. There is the sound of movement, not the usual change of the patrols; there are more feet, moving as if in a crowd, moving together. He can hear the shared laughter of a pack, alphas by the scent of it, some chatting, there is a tense excitement caught in their voices. Rick growls beside him, Merle can feel the vibrations run through him as they press closer, ears picking out a few words through the walls.

“…Gareth…new omega…gets the bitch…free for us…breed up…”

He can feel Rick tense at the same time he does, the pair of them snarling, anger boiling through them at the realisation of what’s gotten the alphas so excited. It makes Merle want to snap, makes him want to break through the walls and hunt down whoever thought they were going to get a taste of his baby brother. But if he thinks he’s angry, he’s got nothing on Rick.

The other alpha looks possessed. There is nothing but hard anger in his eyes, cold and brutal and in that moment Merle remembers when that beard had been bloodstained, when someone had last tried to touch Daryl without Rick’s permission. They are trapped, but Rick Grimes is going to kill someone today, Merle knows it.

Around them, the pack reacts. The betas huddle together, kits in their arms, protected, safe, and ready to be defended from anything. Handmade weapons are handed out, taken in hand, ready to be used when they were needed, ready to be used to kill. Michonne and Maggie stand tall, ready to defend, ready to follow whatever lead Rick may give them. It’s a testament to how strong they really are, that even after a week of captivity, when others would have lost all hope, their pack is ready to move, ready to fight no matter what the odds. It gives Merle hope, gives him strength. Gives him a will to survive and exact revenge on those that put them here.

His pack is ready that much is true, but there is still the worry of the newcomers. Rick has his eyes ahead, focussed on the threat out there, but inside? Merle knows he needs someone to cover his back. So he moves, growls low in his throat and sizes up to the alpha threat from the four of them. Two guys, two girls. The three betas seem to know their place, each of them with their head’s dipped, gazes on the floor, submitting to his status and in turn submitting to Rick and his control of the pack. It’s the alpha that he’s unsure of. Redhead, fiery, camouflage pants, dog tags, army. He could be a problem, could try to step up here and take control when they were focussed on other threats. Sure he’s not done it so far, but when they were all confined like this, it would have been stupid to try and take down an alpha without consequences.

Now would be the opportune time to attack. To bring down a pack when they were distracted, and Merle is not going to let that happen. He sizes him up, stands in front of him, eyes narrowed, growl in the back of his throat when he speaks. “You’re either with us, or you’re against us.” Nodding his head to where Rick stands at the wall, alert and trying to learn what’s happening out there, he knows where his loyalties lie now. “Shit is gonna hit the fan real soon, and if you want to survive this, then you need to fall in line.”

For a moment it’s tense, Merle can feel the betas watching them, well aware that the fight they’ve been building up to could be happening within these very walls. He doesn’t back down, doesn’t blink, doesn’t dare let down his guard for one moment. Rick is watching them, he can feel it, knows their first is ready for whatever this may bring, ready to do what needs to be done. The new alpha rocks on his feet, one of his betas, female, places a hand on his arm, and Merle watches as his head dips in a small nod. Staying down to acknowledge his place beneath them in the rankings. Good. One less problem.

He turns to check on Rick, finds his first with his ear against the door, one hand raised a she listens to something happening out there. Merle joins him, listening intently until he can pick it up. Gunfire. Silenced. One shot at a time so rifle, and there hadn’t been any walkers around clogging the air with their stink for a while. He can hear bodies hit the floor, can smell blood, can smell death. Everyone is alert, on edge, but there is no return fire, no all out war. Someone is picking them off one by one, scoping out the pack, taking them down when they’re distracted. Someone has the same idea as Rick.

When there is the sound of movement outside of the door, a light rap of knuckles over the metal, Merle really isn’t surprised by the accompanying scent.

\---

It’s the most welcome scent in his nose. Rick has been first alpha since the beginning, since before the infection, before their current pack. But he’s always been a first, and always had a second. Another half to his leadership, another soul that paired with his completely, someone who thinks just like him. As soon as he hears the creak of the bolts being drawn back, the scrape of the metal door’s hinges, the sounds of their freedom coming; he already knows who it is.

They move automatically, pressing their foreheads together, arms around each other, sharing scents, sharing breath as Rick lets the constant growl in his throat change to a low purr. Shane presses back, shares in his joy of being reunited, clutches at him briefly as the silenced shots carry on in the distance. Rick feels whole again for the first time in weeks.

“They have Daryl.” He begins, voice low, already looking over his pack and taking note of everyone. Shane is nodding beside him, handing out weapons, guns, knives, Rick’s colt python falls into his grip naturally, the weight reassuring for what he’s got planned. Everyone is looking to him, waiting for his plan. There is no time for nerves, no time for questions, he needs their loyalty if they’re all going to survive this. Stepping up they all watch him, waiting, ready. “Merle, you lead them out. Over the fences, you keep going until you’re at least three miles out.”

Merle snarls, fury on his face as he faces him. “That’s my brother in there Rick.”

But there is no time for arguments, no time for them to talk, to fight, to try and come up with any other plan than the one he has. So he snarls back, teeth bared, stepping forwards, getting in Merle’s face and making sure he is heard as first alpha right now. “And he’s my omega.” He speaks low, the threat clear in his voice, promising pain to anybody who dared to question his dedication to his omega. Merle at least ducks his head almost immediately, aware that he’s stepping out of line, but clearly just acting on fear for his brother’s safety. Rick can understand, but they don’t have the time. “The parent to my kits. You take them, you keep them safe.” He instructs him, and Merle is nodding, moving to snatch up the baby bag of supplies, and directing the betas into securing the kits.

“Lizzie has you covered, she’s set up on the ridge to the east, head that way, find her she knows where is safe.” Shane tells them all, his second is clearly on edge, hand curled around the handle the machete, blood staining the blade already just to get to them. Rick nods for them to follow Shane’s directions, already his body is thrumming with adrenaline, ready to do what he must.

They can see it in his eyes, even Carl doesn’t try to protest his want to join them, he knows he’ll be shut down. Shane is beside him, brother in arms, brother in everything but blood, ready to stand beside him and take down this threat. Everyone is ready, ready to run, ready to fight, ready to survive this. The betas are in the middle, kits in their arms, cradled close, ready to be moved quickly as the alphas stay on the edge, as a shield, as weapons. Ready to take down the rival pack that had tried to break them. Rick has faith in them, even if he can’t be there to protect them, he knows the rest of the pack will work together as a unit.

He doesn’t have to give the final command, a nod is enough.

Rick leads the charge, eyes quickly finding potential threats, taking them down with a shot to the head. Shane covers his back, the two of them giving the pack enough time to leave, time to duck and run, to escape as he and his second dive further into the snakes nest. Each step brings with it more blood, more death as they mow down the alphas they find. There are not many, nowhere near as many as Rick knows reside here at Terminus. His blood is pumping; the need to fight is running through him, the need to destroy the cloying scent of another pack surrounding him. He is first, he is alpha, and he needs someone to pay.

Confined for a week, kept like animals, led out to parade about the courtyard in some sick procession to keep Daryl in line. His omega was unlike any other. Daryl was strong willed, full of life, full of intensity, full of everything an omega shouldn’t be. Now he’d been broken down, worn away at until he’d given in. Rick has seen it, each day getting worse, Daryl’s head ducking further, his scent getting covered in the Terminus pack’s smell. His omega was saturated in their filth, lost to him, surrounded by danger and he was not going to stand for it any longer.

They fight. There is no mercy, when Terminus pack members beg, they die, simply bodies left for them to step over as they make their way further inside. Blood stains the ground, stains his feet, beneath him in so many ways as he breaks through their perceived strength. The smell is thick in the air, rival pack, omega scent, Daryl’s panic and terror almost palpable. It makes him move faster, makes Shane growl low and dangerous beside him as they head down unfamiliar hallways to try and find the source.

Storage rooms, one huge communal sleeping area, a map room, a radio room, and to their horror, a butchery. They each go silent as they slip inside, blood staining almost every surface as they slink through. It wouldn’t be so bad, wouldn’t be so horrifying, if it weren’t for the human body parts scattered about the place. Human flesh fillets, lined on the side, ready to be cured, to be cooked. No animal parts among them, no hunting tools around, nothing but the corpses hanging from the ceiling, blood drained away, pale and ready to be portioned. It makes the churning in his stomach worsen, and if Rick didn’t have a goal to focus on at the end of this, he might have lost the meagre contents of his stomach. Instead it just makes him angrier, makes him hate this pack even more.

It’s with a snarl that they move through, slipping through doorways, taking down anybody that they see. Because they did not deserve to survive this world. Humans who had slipped so far, fallen to the point of cannibalism, didn’t deserve to walk the earth anymore. Then they dared to take his omega from him, dared to claim him, fed him human flesh and tried to make him one of their own. Nobody here deserved to live.

Rick can feel it pumping through him as they get closer, the rage, the pure anger that clouds his vision when he latches onto that scent. Omega. Panic. Fear. It drives him, makes him growl, makes him see nothing but enemies, nothing but people who were standing in the way of him getting to his omega. They shoot, no worry of being heard, he and Shane stepping over bodies, snarling all the way as they draw in. Let them hear him, let them come, he will put each and every single one of them down and spit on their corpses as he claims what is his.

Doors line the hallway, empty room after empty room, but the scent is thicker. He hears it, the laughter, the mockery, the jeering of a band of alphas tasting what is his. His steps are heavy, boots stained and leaving bloody footprints that Shane steps into, following him, the pair of them together. Words are unneeded as they find the door, hear the sounds, hear the cries of their omega behind it. Rick looks to his second, sees the same anger there and they move as one.

Door open. Shots fired. Headshot after headshot, body after body falling to the floor, staining it with more fresh blood. They fire, they kill, not meant to cause pain, meant to eliminate the threat until they are left with only two others alive in the room other than themselves. Shane steps to his side, matches him, their breathing the same, heavy pants that echo as growls in their throats. The sound layers on top of each other, mixing, becoming the static that fills their ears as they take in the sight.

Daryl is strapped to a breeding stand. Bent over, collared, leather straps over wrists, over ankles, left naked and spread open to be used. Tear marks stain his face, his mouth is caught in a constant whimper and Rick feels something inside of him break when Daryl hangs his head with a wet sob. What he felt before wasn’t anger, what he felt before was nothing compared to this. His omega, his Daryl, open and ready to be bred like nothing more than a bitch. What washes over him isn’t thick with emotion, it’s not intense, it’s not hot, instead it feels like all the tension from before being lifted from him. He feels calm, and maybe that’s what Gareth sees as he tries to back away.

The Terminus alpha stumbles back, falls over the pants bunched at his ankles, bare assed on the floor and looking like a child as he begins to beg. “I didn’t… I didn’t mate him yet.” His voice is small, weak, it catches on his lips and falls to the floor at Rick’s feet. “He’s still untainted. Still yours. You can have him, take him, just p-please…” Gareth sobs, begins to cry outright, on the floor beneath him, shifting to fall onto his back, belly up, head tilted back, neck bared to him. “Please don’t k-kill me.” He begs, worthless body curled at Rick’s feet, sprawled open, vulnerable, weak, desperate. Gareth stinks of weakness.

Rick holsters his weapon, listening to the hitch in Gareth’s throat as he leaves the gun at his hip. He doesn’t need to say a word as he holds a hand out to Shane, his second is still growling, anger still seething through him as he passes Rick the machete. Stepping closer, Rick lets Gareth back up into the wall, still on his back, still belly up, still submitting, still trying to get out of this. Still acting as if there was ever any other way that this was going to go. Rick crouches on his haunches, machete before him, tip of the blade resting on the floor as he looks him over.

This man, had tried to destroy them all. He hadn’t tried to kill them outright, quick and definitive, he’d tried to own them. As if his pack, his people, his family, were Gareth’s own personal playthings. Locked them up, caged like animals, used to subdue Daryl. Daryl. His omega. His in so many ways and yet this snivelling, whining, crying, pathetic little man, had tried to take that from him. Tried to own Daryl, not just used him for sex, but tried to make him his fully and finally. There are claiming bites over Daryl’s neck, fresh and desperate, full of a need to dominate, a need to control. Yet here Gareth was, on his back, crying like a child and looking for mercy.

He feels calm. It doesn’t feel desperate when he moves, instead it feels natural, feels right. It feels like he was meant to be here.

Behind him Shane is moving, getting Daryl free, whispering to soothe him, helping him drag on clothing and hushing his unneeded apologies. Rick knows he is safe, knows that Shane will not dare to claim him or do anything more than help Daryl feel safe and ready to move. Walkers will be drawing in, lured by the scent of blood and the noise of chaos he’s going to leave behind here. Because Gareth does not deserve a quick death, he does not deserve to forget his sins so easily. Not when he had dared to touch what was his.

The snarl that leaves his throat is louder than any other he’s ever made, it’s tainted with hatred, tainted with a need for death, a need for the scores to be evened out. Rick moves, the blade of the machete coming down fast, quick enough to leave Gareth blinking, unsure of his fate before he looks down, when the pain kicks in at the sight of his wound. The blood blossoms forth, gushing from between Gareth’s legs, staining the floor beneath them, flooding out in a sea of red that stains the sole of Rick’s boots. He meets Gareth’s eyes, can see the realisation of his impending death, knows that it will take time to bleed out from such a wound. It will be painful; he feels it’s justified. Gareth goes to scream, perhaps wants to cry out for help, but he’s not allowing this man to have any control of his demise.

Reaching down he picks up Gareth’s penis from the pool of blood, the slack meat still warm as he grabs Gareth’s chin with his other hand. The other alpha looks petrified, his body shaking, possibly already going into shock as Rick shoves the man’s own cock into his mouth, as far into his throat as he can. There is a moment that he sees it, the acknowledgement of just how bad an idea it was to fuck with him and his pack, it glints in Gareth’s eyes a second before Rick turns away.

He moves to Daryl automatically, arms snaking around his omega’s torso, nose burying into his neck, seeking his scent, drowning in him until he can fasten his teeth over the already bruised flesh of his throat. Daryl whimpers, fingers clutching at him, a choked sob falling from his lips as Rick claims him back, no hesitation, no question of exactly who Daryl belonged to. His omega is still shaking, afraid, overwhelmed, been a captive far too long and away from his pack and kits. Rick moves, not caring to look back to the slowly dying man slumped against the wall behind them.

They move as a unit. Rick leads, Daryl still hanging onto the back of his coat as he follows, Shane protecting them from behind. There are others in the hallway, unfamiliar low ranked alphas, betas, fledglings and even children young enough to not have presented. His hand falls to his gun, he knows Shane has his already raised, and Daryl even tenses behind his back, ready to fight his way out if he has to.

The remains of the Terminus pack part for them, backing up against the walls, heads hanging low, submissive, some whining, others bare their necks. Rick leads them out, head held high, blood staining his clothes, with the knowledge that now the world knew exactly what happened when you fucked with Rick Grimes’ pack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: It's been a while! As with all my other fics I just want to remind you guys that nothing is abandoned! It will just take more time that it did before to update because I have less time to write compared to what I used to have. Either way, know that Instinct is planned up all the way to the current Season 6, and I have it all planned out. However, as with my other fics, if you have ideas, thoughts, questions or just want to chat about this AU please feel free to send me a message through my tumblr or through here. More ideas are always welcome and I hope you guys enjoy what's coming in the future for the pack! Love to you all and thanks for reading and enjoying! <3 xxx


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